A West Chilcotin resident is raising concerns about a washout that has closed the Miner Lake Forestry Road for about four months already.
“The hole in the road is large enough to fit a logging truck inside it,” said Axel Koehn of Kleena Kleene who lives east of the road, adding it is washed out at kilometre 2.4.
“I’ve called forestry officials in Williams Lake four times and asked about a repair time line,” he told the Tribune.
“I’m really concerned because this is the only access to thousands of acres of forest in an event of a forest fire in the Chilcotin and the only access for recreational activities to Miner Lake Recreation Site and Perkins Peak, which is a beautiful place to hike to.”
The Ministry of Forests responded Thursday, July 28, in an email noting impacts from freshet and high precipitation that occurred later in the season than anticipated have resulted in a delay on road works in the area.
“A local licensee holds the permit for this forest service road and is responsible for maintenance and repairs to it,” the ministry stated, adding the Natural Resource District is working with the licensee to complete the necessary repairs.
Work is estimated to be completed by mid-August as long as weather and wildfire conditions remain favourable, the ministry noted.
The notice of closure is posted on the Resource Road Safety website and online mapping: Cariboo-Chilcotin Natural Resource District road safety information - Province of British Columbia (gov.bc.ca)
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