COURTENAY, B.C- Timberwest’s forest gates are getting closed across Vancouver Island.
According to a news release issued by the company on Thursday, campsites are being closed in the North Island area, and road closures are being put in place around Comox Lake and other logging areas.
The company previously issued fire bans across it’s campsites in late June, and closed access to their private lands in July, in the face of extreme fire risk.
The following campsites are still open: Goose Neck, Wellington Point, Wokas Lake; and Echo Lake and Beavertail day-use recreation sites.
The following roads are closed:
Comox Lake Main (CL 6 to CL31); Boston Main; Browns Main; Cougar Main; Constitution Main; Murex Main; Duncan Bay Main (DBM 31 to DBM 51); Cranberry Main; McBain Main; Airport West Main; JD Main; Elk Main (Quinsam River to Echo Lake);Tom Brown North/Dump Main; Elk 3000; Bacon Lake Main; Berry Creek Main; Quinsam Main; Elk Mtn.; and Buttle Bluffs.
Access is allowed to members of clubs with access agreements. The Comox District Mountaineering Club will have access during sanctioned weekend events, and mountain biking is allowed on trails managed by the United Riders of Cumberland.
Owners of cabins along Comox Lake will have road access on weekends and statutory holidays, though they should expect two hour wait times at traffic control points.
They’re asking people to report acts of misuse or illegal activity by calling the Report a Poacher or Polluter hotline at 1-877-952-7277, and if there is a fire call the BC Wildfire Service 1-800-663-5555, or *5555 on cell phones.
NOTE: A previous version of this story had carried a list of closed campsites. Those campsites are not closed, and are still open according to the latest information from Timberwest. A start date for restrictions and a table containing information from Island Timberlands has also been removed.
