MOUNTAIN VIEW COUNTY - The county’s municipal planning commission has approved a development permit for a proposed selective logging project in the Water Valley/Winchell Lake rural community.
The move came by way of motion at the commission’s recent regular scheduled meeting, held in person and on Zoom.
The property involved is located on a 17-acre parcel located on Twp. 290, 290C and 290 E, at SE 2-29-5-5.
“The proposed selective logging is proposed within the southerly parcel that is zoned agricultural district and in the northwest parcel that is zoned country residential district,” administration said in a briefing note to the commission.
“As the proposed development is one project affecting two legal land descriptions where the applicant/landowner is the same, one application is being considered.”
The application states a total of 20 loads, totalling 1,300 cubic metres of conifer trees will be harvested.
As per the county’s Land Use Bylaw, a development permit application for selective logging must include a harvesting plan to be prepared in accordance with the Alberta Timber Harvest Planning and Operating Ground Rules.
“The submitted harvest plan states immature trees and regenerating trees in the understory will be retained as much as operationally possible for continuous forest management. The goal for natural reforestation of spruce, pine and deciduous ingress through suckering.”
The approval came with a number of conditions, including that the operator and all parties hauling in and out of the section logging area must use an approved haul route.
As well, the applicant must obtain a fire permit from the county for any burning of debris as a result of the logging operation.
The municipal planning commission is the municipality’s approving authority, made up of county councillors and appointed public members.
