Phase two of the Crater Mountain burn is set to begin this spring, with an open house to provide information to the public on Feb. 5.
The prescribed burn project is a joint effort between B.C. Wildfire, the Lower Similkameen Indian Band, and the Skulqalt Forestry LP.
“The goals of the burn are ecosystem restoration in the Ashnola Corridor and wildfire protection,” said Tracy Lawlor, the forestry administrator for Skulqalt Forestry.
One of the aspects of the ecosystem that the burn is targets is recovery for bighorn sheep in the area.
With concerns about smoke and air quality, as well as about the prescribed burn in general, the open house will be a chance for the community to speak with the team involved in the burn to get answers to their burning questions.
Last year’s first phase burn aimed to cover 192-hectares of the total 690-hectare area on Crater Mountain.
Read More: Letter: Keremeos resident fired up over prescribed burns
This year’s burn is aimed at roughly the same time, so long as conditions are favourable within the eight-week window BC Wildfire has identified as suitable for the burn around March.
“The burn last year was on April 5 or 7,” said Lawlor. “We started at 9 and we were done at 4. It was done perfectly.”
Project managers’ will be on-hand at the open house on Feb. 5 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m at the Elks Hall in Keremeos.
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