Vernon, B.C. — Today, Tolko Industries Ltd. (Tolko) announced that, after reviewing the Duteau Creek harvest plans and the information received from the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO), it will be altering harvest plans to exclude the area that is of concern to the RDNO. No harvest or road construction will take place in this area of concern.
After the RDNO raised issues, Tolko took some time to engage with them, listen to their concerns, and re-examine the harvest plan. Tolko’s analysis that the area is safe to harvest has not changed according to the requirements of the Forest and Range Practices Act (FRPA), but the company appreciates the different priorities of the RDNO and feels that this is the best way to proceed. Yesterday, Tolko shared this decision to modify the harvest plans with the RDNO and the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.
“Tolko has continued to work with the RDNO and the Ministry on these concerns over the past few weeks,” says Kevin Jewett, Tolko’s Vice President, Woodlands. “We value the collaboration we’ve had on this discussion as we explore options to plan and harvest our Annual Allowable Cut and keep our people working.”
“We thank Tolko for considering the RDNO’s perspective and excluding the area of concern from their harvesting plans. We look forward to fostering this relationship and having positive discussions about watershed management and cooperation on areas of concern to our water infrastructure,” said Kevin Acton, Chair of the RDNO Board of Directors.
For more information, contact:
Chris Downey, Communications Advisor
Tolko Industries Ltd.
M: 250.306.0929
Chris.Downey@tolko.com
Ashley Gregerson, Communications Officer
Regional District of North Okanagan
P: 250.550.3707
Ashley.Gregerson@rdno.ca
