Lac des Roches and Birch Lake are the sites of some planned active logging for about a month this fall. Jack Darney of Tolko has advised the company has been granted a licence in the 100 Mile House Forest District to harvest "dead and dying timber aong public corridors. " The six cut blocks along Highway 24 are defined as clear-cut logging, but the use of a feller buncher will allow the crew to leave standing, large-diameter fir and a portion of aspen and other deciduous trees, as well as the required percentage of "wildlife tree patch" timber amid the blocks. Darney said this should have a similar appearance to the logging conducted along the south side of the highway last year, in the vicinity of the Cariboo Regional District (CRD) border. Birch Lake residents have estimated one of the cutting boundaries will end about 400 metres north of their cabins, which could reduce the natural sound buffer the existing trees provide from Highway 24. A map showing the planned cutting areas has been posted on the Friends of Lac des Roches website at www.lacdesroches.org. /news.
Book exchange
A dozen Lac des Roches ladies were busy Sept. 5, exchanging books, stories and baked goodies. The drizzly cool morning was ideal weather for an indoor book bee and tea party. Several ladies had boxes of books to discard that were unpacked, displayed on tables and shelves and free for the taking by the many readers in our community. Since most of the books would not be defined as current publications and, therefore, undesirable for the local library, the remaining six boxes of were donated to an upcoming fundraising book sale, organized by one of the residents. What a great way to recycle books, get to know the neighbours, share some delicious home-baked goodies and give back to the community. This will, no doubt, be the first of many book exchanges.
Fawn cries
Thank goodness residents were nearby when a fawn recently got stuck under a driveway gate along Boultbee Road. In mid-August, neighbours were chatting in their yards when there was a loud crying and clanging noise. One of the residents, an 82-year-old avid deer hunter, recognized the cry as that of a fawn in distress. Responding to the need, his next-door neighbour was able to nudge the panicked fawn all the way under the gate, and then it ran to the waiting doe. Obviously, when you live on the edge of the wilderness, neighbourhood watch means watching out for animals, too.
Subdivision growth
There was a relatively small and quiet Lac des Roches contingent attending the Cariboo Rainbow Estates public hearing on Aug. 31 at the Interlakes Community Hall. Those who did attend raised concerns about the impact additional lot owners would have on the lake. Judging by the number of letters on file and those in attendance at the public hearing, the support for the application clearly outweighed the opposition. The information session on the following night about the subdivision proposal on the north shores of Webb Lake attracted even fewer Lac des Roches attendants. Webb Lake is a shallow, meandering lake south of the Bridge Lake business route that passes the school and store, about 10 kilometres west of Lac des Roches. Judging by the questions from the floor and the sounds from the attendants, there appeared to be support for the developer to proceed with his application.