Wildfire Risk Reduction work to be done near Sisters Creek area in Kersley

The Sisters Creek area in Kersley, south of Quesnel, will undergo wildfire risk reduction work from winter to early spring.

The Quesnel Natural Resource District(QNRD) may start work on the project on February 1, and the project is scheduled to continue until April.

The Natural Resource District says the treatment area of the project will cover around 27 hectares, located at the end of Arnoldus Road in Kersley, approximately 20 kms south of Quesnel.

The list below is what the QNRD says the public should expect:

• Contract crews will be using both manual and special mechanical methods to create gaps between the larger, mature timber and the smaller understory trees.

• Overstory trees will be retained as much as possible while creating spaces in the tree canopy, by targeting trees with defects or poor health first and leaving the healthiest. Understory trees, smaller than 12.5 centimetres in diameter, will be thinned and branches on remaining trees will be pruned up to 3 metres, or up to half of their height, whichever is less.
• Wildlife trees, deciduous trees, and coarse woody debris will be retained to protect recreational trails, wildlife habitats, and community values.
• Piles no larger than two metres by three metres will be created. The piles will be burned when conditions are appropriate, and burn scars will be grass-seeded after completion.
  • Contract crews will ignite burn piles using hand torches under favourable conditions and will closely monitor all fire activity. Burning may occur over multiple days, as weather and site conditions allow.
  • Personnel will remain on-site each day to ensure fires are controlled and will only leave once the fires have safely burned down and no longer pose a risk of spreading.
  • Fires will continue to be monitored and extinguished once burning is complete.
• Smoke and flames will be visible to Kersley residents and surrounding communities as well as motorists travelling along Highway 97.
• This project does not include private property.
• While burning is underway, some public trails will be restricted, and signage will be placed on the trails as needed.

The QNRD’s main objective is to reduce the risks of potential wildfires around Kersley.

The wildfire risk reduction project will be worked on in partnership with the Cariboo Regional District, the City of Quesnel, and the Ministry of Environment and Parks.