Last winter’s unexpected logging on the south hills was a disturbing time. Not knowing and not being able to get definitive answers about the logging plan while watching the 24 hour harvesting speeding down the hill towards the lake was, for many residents, the worst of the ordeal. For other residents, the new view of a clear cut mountain, directly out their front window, was the worst of the ordeal and will likely scar their enjoyment forever of living their remaining days on the lake. The most recent work on the south hill is not logging, but it stirs up a lot of emotion among residents, for different reasons. On November 6th and again on the 11th, the forester lit dozens of gigantic slash piles on fire which burned during the day and then all through the night. Air quality was definitely an issue for a short time but watching such huge flames shooting up through the trees, particularly through the dark night, roused unpleasant memories of devastating forest fires for some people. Other residents are quite emotional about their opposition to burning slash piles at all and feel more wood should be salvaged for fuel or gasification. It will be a welcome relief when all the logging reclamation work is complete and mother nature is left alone to work for the next 100 years of repairing the damage.
