Creating a landscape that reduces wildfire risk and enhances safety for nearby residents is the mission of a newly-launched project at Mount Baldy Ski Hill.
The Osoyoos Indian Band (OIB), in collaboration with Siya Forestry and supported by the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, has launched a wildfire risk reduction project in the area, located about 37 kilometres east of Oliver.
Siya Forestry said its goal is to develop a fuel management prescription to reduce wildfire risk along "a key access corridor" and surrounding forested areas.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not just treating trees, we鈥檙e protecting people, values, and ways of life,鈥� said project lead Aaron Froc of Siya Forestry. 鈥淭his project reflects what鈥檚 possible when community, forestry, and Indigenous knowledge come together to lead change.鈥�
In a press release, Siya Forestry added that it wants to create a landscape that is ecologically balanced and guided by OIB鈥檚 commitment to land stewardship.
The project is situated along the main road corridor leading to the Mount Baldy community. According to Canada's 2021 census, the unincorporated place has 67 residents.
Siya Forestry says it has identified three treatment zones for the project, which launched on July 22:
鈥� A five-kilometre stretch along Mount Baldy Road, which includes forests on both sides of the corridor and near the Nordic ski area;
鈥� A mid-elevation section of Crown land situated between private parcels;
鈥� Lower portions of the ski hill that have been affected by insect and disease damage
The zones were also selected to improve emergency access and protect infrastructure and community safety, Siya Forestry added.
鈥淭his is part of a larger, landscape-level fuel break strategy that builds on previous wildfire risk reduction work done by OIB in the region,鈥� Froc said.
Siya Forestry also said the project comes with potential long-term economic benefits, as timber removed during thinning operations could be sold or repurposed as firewood.
鈥淎s a nation, we鈥檙e not waiting for fire to come, we鈥檙e leading with proactive solutions rooted in many Indigenous values,鈥� said OIB forest manager Dan Macmaster. 鈥淭his project is one more step toward keeping our people, infrastructure, and lands safe for generations to come.鈥�
Siya Forestry was established in 2024 and represents a joint venture between Nk'Mip Forestry LLP of the Osoyoos Indian Band and Infinity-Pacific Stewardship Group Ltd.
