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Above photos from CCF Forest Manager Daniel Gratton Last week the Creston Community Forest board and staff attended the BC Community Forest Association's conference and AGM held in Nanaimo. Thank you to the BC Community Forest organizers, exhibitors and presenters at this 2025 event. Above photo: BC Community Forest Association Creston attendees included Tom Olenczuk, (Chair), Robyn Usher (Director), Erich Endersby, Angela French and Daniel Gratton. This was an opportunity to engage with other community forests from across the province and learn from other forest professionals. Presentations included Forest Landscape Planning, bringing back fire onto the landscape, forest policy, innovative silviculture and community engagement. The conference wrapped up with presentations from the UBC Centre for Wildfire Coexistence hosted by Dr. Lori Daniels, Dr. Kelsey Copes- Gerbitz and Dr. Sarah Dickson -Hoyle. Since 2021, the Creston Community Forest has collaborated with UBC's TreeRing Lab in assisting Masters students in their research regarding wildfire risk reduction.

Photos: Wildsight Facebook One of our three pillars is Education. We are thrilled to extend our projects and collaborations with organizations with Wildsight - Youth Climate Corps. Below is a shout out from Wildsight sharing a few insights from our project with them held this May 2025. "Pumps & hoses & chainsaws, oh my! The East and West Kootenay Youth Climate Corps teams came together in Creston to complete training for their Basic Fire Suppression and Safety certificate and Basic Chainsaw Safety course, conducted by Loki Tree Service. This training equipped the crew with skills for their wildfire risk reduction project taking place in the Creston Community Forest  this May, as well as skills for future environmental careers! The crew loved getting out into the forest and getting some hands-on training and knowledge on fire behaviour, chainsaw handling, pump layouts, and more!"

Fuel Reduction Meets Food Security. Notice to the public : possible pile burning during May 20th - 30th on Goat Mountain. From wildfire prevention to regenerative farming, a new project on Goat Mountain is connecting the dots. In partnership with the Creston Community Forest, the Youth Climate Corps is building hands-on skills while reducing forest fuels and feeding local farms with mulch made on-site. Details below: - The Youth Climate Corps, Wildsight East and West Kootenays regions combined are completing a wildfire risk reduction treatment project in partnership with the Creston Community Forest on 3.1 hectares on Goat Mountain. To view our project head to the "2025 West Kootenay" projects list on the Wildsight website listed here: https://wildsight.ca/programs/youthclimatecorps   - The goal is reduce the fuel build-up adjacent to private land to reduce the risk of wildfire as well as to help restore fire-maintained ecosystems to increase resilience in a changing climate. - The project provides an opportunity to foster young, local skill and knowledge in the work and objectives. - The group will be chipping the gathered woody debris and delivering the chips to local farms that signed up in the Creston area, with the goal of promoting local food systems and creating a local carbon cycle. - Where the debris is too far from the roadside to warrant chipping, the debris will be piled and burned in small piles (less than Category 2 sized: <2m in height and <3m wide), venting dependent. - This project is anticipated to go from May 20 - 30th. - Wildsight is one of the Creston Community Forests 5 share-holders . We are grateful for these opportunities to continue to focus on long-term, sustainable, climate resilient projects. Please visit our PROJECTS page here: https://www.crestoncommunityforest.com/projects

Collecting Firewood in the Creston Community Forest (the Selkirk Forest District): What You Need to Know Did you know that you need permission to collect firewood from our forestry blocks? This permission comes in the form of a Free Use Permit for Firewood – for Domestic Purposes Only. This permit is free of charge and valid only within the Selkirk Forest District, which includes the Arrow, Boundary, Kootenay Lake, and Creston areas. What Does the Permit Allow? This permit authorizes you to: Collect dead and downed wood only (no live trees or standing dead permitted) Gather up to 5 cords per calendar year (approx. 18 cubic metres or 6–8 pick-up loads) Use the wood for personal, domestic use only—not for resale or commercial purposes Important Regulations to Follow When collecting firewood, the following rules apply under Section 48(1)(b) of the Forest Act: You must fill out, sign, and carry your permit with you while cutting or transporting firewood.  You must be able to produce your permit if asked by a Natural Resource Officer, Conservation Officer, or Peace Officer The permit is not transferable Cut only DEAD conifer trees (standing or down). Conifer trees that have been blown down or broken off, shall ONLY be cut for firewood if there are no green  needles left on the tree(s). No cutting of deciduous trees  is allowed under this permit. Cutting of any decked logs is PROHIBITED  and may be subject to criminal charges of theft under the Criminal Code of Canada . Wildlife Values  are to be recognized. No trees greater than 50 cm  (approximately 20 inch) in diameter as measured at stump height (30cm from germination) shall be cut under this permit. Care shall also be taken to not cut, damage or remove trees showing signs of wildlife use (see last page).  Watch especially for trees posted with a “Wildlife Tree” sign.  It is an offense under the Wildlife Act  to destroy any active bird nest. Look carefully before you cut! ** See image of Wildlife Tree Characteristics on the Permit and on our ‘Firewood’ webpage located on our website. The link to view both is listed below. PERMISSION MUST FIRST BE   GRANTED from   the Creston Community Forest before cutting a tree within these area based tenures using this permit. The debris must be cleared from roads, roadside ditches, culvert inlets and outlets prior to leaving the area with a load of firewood. Note: whenever you cut, you should have at least one functional shovel and one fire extinguisher present at all times. Follow all posted instructions in respect to the use of the road. Do not block roads under active use with your vehicle or firewood. Work safe and drive carefully.  This permit is issued under the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA) and associated regulations. Permit holders are expected to collect responsibly, avoid damage to the land, and leave no trace.  Please see the map of permit required area in this post. How to Get Your Free Use Permit To make things easy, we’ve created a dedicated page on our website where you can download and fill out your permit: 👉  Click here to access the Firewood Permit and Details Please read all instructions carefully before heading out. Our goal is to keep firewood collection safe, sustainable, and respectful of the land we all share.

We would like to introduce our NEWEST Team Member: Alana Sargent as our Office Administrator. Alana recently moved from Calgary to Creston with her husband and young son at the start of the new year. She has worked as the Administrator with the Calgary Rotary Foundation and was also a Program Coordinator for a youth mentorship program. She also operates her own e-commerce business managing all aspects of accounting. Alana has a Bachelor of Arts in Development Studies and also holds a certificate in Project Management for the Non-Profit Sector. Her enthusiasm and knowledge regarding what the community forest does in the Creston Valley was very evident and we are very happy to have her join our team. A big WELCOME to Alana! To see all of our team, click here: https://www.crestoncommunityforest.com/about-us

We’re excited to announce that we’ve been awarded $1 million in grant funding from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC)! This funding, which supports our efforts from 2025 to 2027, will play a vital role in reducing wildfire risk in and around the community of Creston in the Creston Community Forest. This funding is part of the $90 million allocated in 2025 for wildfire-prevention initiatives through BC Wildfire Service, FireSmart initiatives and FESBC.   The grant will fund fuel management treatments and planning for future initiatives, including prescribed burning. We’re grateful for FESBC’s continued support and remain committed to innovation and leadership in sustainable forest management.   Stay tuned for more updates and exciting projects on the horizon!

Please submit comments in writing on the FOM website, via email to infoshare@crestoncf.com CCF K3D CP35 BLKS 14_16 COMMUNITY REFERRAL MAP CCF - K3D CP 35 BLK 14 RUSSELL HP MAP

Help the Creston Museum Become FireSmart at our Open House Saturday, May 3rd. Join us on May 3rd - Wildfire Preparedness Day - by volunteering for the Creston Museum's wildfire mitigation efforts. Tasks include pruning trees, clearing vegetation, and removing fire hazards to make the museum grounds safer. Sign up with the link to our website below. Join us for our Open House & Wildfire Preparedness Day Local Forests, Local Voices – Your Input Matters Open House 2025 Details: Saturday, May 3rd 1:00 – 4:30 pm Creston Museum ​ Learn how we’re working to reduce wildfire risks, strengthen our forests, and protect our community. ​​ Get practical FireSmart tips to safeguard your home, sign up for a free Home Assessment, discover how sustainable forest management plays a role in wildfire prevention, and chat with our team about local forestry issues. For more details about our Open House 2025 and participating partners, click here: https://www.crestoncommunityforest.com/openhouse2025

On April 4th, Creston Community Forest (CCF) Team Members - Erich, Alana, and Angela hosted the Selkirk College Forestry Diploma students as part of their final class field trip with a tour. During the visit, they delved into conventional logging practices aimed at wildfire risk reduction, focusing on our active logging site at Goat Mountain. The students had an opportunity to have insightful conversations with the loggers about the development process and the community forest values that drive our CCF mission. They also explored completed wildfire risk reduction projects and observed our Douglas-fir bark beetle management program sites, which uses pheromone-baited funnel traps. The tour concluded with prescribed burn sites, where discussions turned to innovative silviculture practices and adaptive forest stewardship. For Angela French (RFT) and Erich Endersby (TFT)—both alumni of the Selkirk program—it was a meaningful full-circle moment, underscoring the value of keeping forestry efforts local and building a skilled workforce with deep roots in the community. Photo #1: Selkirk college with Rick Polzin and CCF staff April 4, 2025 on Goat Mountain block 12 Photo #2: Creston Community Forest team members - Erich, Alana and Angela on Goat Mountain WRR block April 4, 2025 #crestoncommunityforest #sustainableforestry #WildfirePreparedness #SelkirkCollege

Meet us at our Open House & Wildfire Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 3rd, from 1:00 – 4:30 pm at the Creston Museum!  Learn how we manage local forests sustainably  Get expert FireSmart tips to protect your home  Ask questions about logging, recreation & wildfire risks Your voice matters! Let’s work together for a resilient Creston Valley. See you there!  Creston Museum |  May 3rd, 1:00 – 4:30 PM Read all the details and 10 additional reasons to attend our Open House on our website here: https://www.crestoncommunityforest.com/openhouse2025 #CrestonCommunityForest   #WildfirePreparedness   #SustainableForestry   #CrestonBC

As part of our ongoing commitment to wildfire risk reduction, we will be starting the following two projects this April as part of our 2025 program: 1. Logging operations will start in the Russell Creek Forest Service Road (FSR) area from late April and continue into early June. 2. We will also be conducting understory fuel reduction work and piling with small-scale pile burning on Goat Mountain and Carroll Creek beginning in April continuing into the fall.

Join the Conversation! Creston Community Forest invites you to our Open House & Wildfire Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 3rd, from 1:00 – 4:30 pm at the Creston Museum!  Learn how we manage local forests sustainably  Get expert FireSmart tips to protect your home   Ask questions about wildfire risks, recreation & harvesting Your voice matters! Let’s work together for a resilient Creston Valley. See you there!  Creston Museum |  May 3rd, 1:00 – 4:30 PM Read all the details and 10 additional reasons to attend our Open House on our webpage here: https://www.crestoncommunityforest.com/openhouse2025