Tecumseh logging plan raises recreation concerns
Concerns over a proposed harvest plan on Mount Tecumseh continued to grow as residents and recreation users raised questions about potential impacts to trails, snow retention, runoff and the long term value of the area to the Crowsnest Pass.
Jamie Lowe-Wylde, director of finance with Spry and Rock Gear Distribution, said his main concerns were recreation, watershed values and the long term economic value of the area.
He said Mount Tecumseh was more than “a forested slope on a map,” describing it as a heavily used local recreation area, an important headwaters landscape and part of what makes the Crowsnest Pass attractive to residents, visitors and businesses.
“It is also one of the few local areas that consistently holds snow,” said Lowe-Wylde. “Because of its sheltered terrain and position in a regional snowbelt, Tecumseh provides reliable winter recreation conditions when many other areas nearby are wind affected or melted out.”
The proposed Mount Tecumseh harvest plan, put forward by West Fraser, covers approximately 474 hectares and is scheduled to begin in 2026. West Fraser has said harvesting plans are part of its work to responsibly source timber and support renewable wood products, while considering environmental, social and economic values.
Lowe-Wylde said he first became aware of the plan last fall after noticing flagging tape in the forest while hiking in the area. He said he was surprised by how extensive it appeared and concerned that some proposed cutblocks extended close to alpine terrain.
“At that time, the information available to residents and recreation users felt limited, especially given the importance of the area,” said Lowe-Wylde.
He said maps were available, but many people did not fully understand how the cutblocks related to trails, ski access routes, viewpoints and watersheds used regularly by the public.
Lowe-Wylde previously wrote to Crowsnest Pass council in March, raising concerns about recreation, tourism, watershed integrity, wildlife habitat and long term economic impacts. He said the most urgent issue was ensuring the plan was not finalized or implemented before recreation and watershed impacts were fully understood.
“Once roads are built and harvesting begins, many of those impacts are difficult or impossible to reverse,” said Lowe-Wylde.
Since March, he said there had been more community discussion and West Fraser had been willing to meet and discuss concerns. He said the company had made some changes to remove or reduce logging near entrances to the alpine and along parts of the most heavily used trail corridor.
However, Lowe-Wylde said larger questions remained unresolved, including the overall scale of the plan, protection of key recreation corridors and how hydrology findings would be incorporated into the final harvest plan.
One of his specific requests was for West Fraser to preserve a continuous forested loop on one of the most popular routes in the area. He said the loop connects from the Crowsnest Nordic area into the forest above Chinook Lake and toward alpine terrain, and is used by hikers, skiers and trail runners.
“The forested trail provides important shelter from wind and harsh weather, making access to the alpine enjoyable in a wider range of conditions,” said Lowe-Wylde.
He said the route was especially important for young users and beginner backcountry skiers, adding that sheltered forest skiing was part of what made the area special for local families.
Lowe-Wylde said logging could affect access trails, reduce sheltered terrain, change snow retention and make the area less reliable for ski touring and other winter use.
He also said Nordic backcountry skiers could be affected because many people use old mining and forestry roads in the area as ski routes. He said that form of skiing gives people a relatively accessible way to explore the mountains while generally avoiding avalanche terrain.
In the summer, Lowe-Wylde said the area was used for hiking, trail running and access to viewpoints and alpine terrain. He said his concern was not that forestry and recreation were always incompatible, but that the Tecumseh plan needed to be designed around existing recreation values.
“Trails and access routes should not be treated as an afterthought,” he said.
From a business and tourism perspective, Lowe-Wylde said Mount Tecumseh was part of the outdoor recreation identity of the Crowsnest Pass. He said spry was connected to people getting outside through skiing, running, hiking, camping and exploring the mountains.
“The value of these landscapes is not only in timber,” said Lowe-Wylde. “They help attract visitors, support local businesses, and make the Crowsnest Pass a place where people want to live, work, and spend time.”
He said there are very few places with the same combination of recreation access, snow retention, watershed importance, biodiversity and proximity to a community.
Lowe-Wylde also noted the area has been described by local naturalists as ecologically unique, with rare tree species and reports of mountain lady’s slipper orchids in parts of the landscape.
He said the store sells alpine touring and backcountry Nordic skis and described the Tecumseh area as one of the best local places to use them because of access through the Crowsnest Nordic Ski Club trails, higher snowpack in the lee of Mount Tecumseh and wind protection in the forest.
Watershed impacts were another major concern. Lowe-Wylde said harvesting and road building could affect snowpack, runoff timing, sediment and water quality in areas connected to Allison Chinook Lake.
He said he found three metres of snow in the forest on Tecumseh this winter with his seven year old son and still found 1.8 metres of snow at treeline during the May long weekend.
“Because much of the watershed faces a similar direction, there is concern that large scale clearing could accelerate spring snowmelt and runoff into the lake system,” said Lowe-Wylde.
He said that could potentially increase turbidity, affect lake levels later in the summer and change how water moves through the watershed.
Lowe-Wylde said he had requested a smaller scale hydrology analysis because broader watershed scale calculations may not capture impacts in smaller drainages that feed directly into Allison Chinook Lake. He said West Fraser agreed to fund a more detailed analysis through a company familiar with the area, but he had not yet received a copy of the report or had the follow up meeting he understood would happen.
“I believe it should be public because the watershed is a public value, and the community is being asked to trust that the plan is appropriate,” said Lowe-Wylde.
He said if the report supports the plan, releasing it should build public confidence. If it identifies risks or recommends changes, he said residents should know how those findings would be addressed before logging begins.
Lowe-Wylde said a reasonable outcome would be to pause the plan until the hydrology report was public, recreation impacts were properly assessed and the community had a clearer understanding of what was being proposed.
“At minimum, I would like to see the plan significantly reduced and redesigned to preserve the most important recreation corridors, maintain a continuous forested loop on the main trail network, protect sensitive watershed areas, and avoid the highest value recreation terrain,” he said.
He said he understood and supported the need to reduce wildfire risk where effective and appropriate, but had concerns about the way the project had been discussed in relation to wildfire fuel reduction.
“My concern is that this plan has been presented in the context of wildfire fuel reduction, but West Fraser and forestry representatives have confirmed that the plan is regular sequenced logging, not a targeted wildfire mitigation project specifically designed to reduce risk to nearby homes,” said Lowe-Wylde.
He said wildfire mitigation should be based on clear objectives, evidence and treatments that reduce risk to communities. He said he believed targeted mitigation could be done in a more careful and site specific way, including focusing on areas closest to homes and infrastructure, using selective treatments, protecting key trail corridors and avoiding sensitive watershed areas.
Lowe-Wylde said his goal was not to attack West Fraser, oppose the forestry industry, or wildfire mitigation, and said he appreciated the company’s willingness to meet and discuss concerns.
“My concern is with this specific plan, in this specific place, at this scale,” he said. “Mount Tecumseh is one of the most important and accessible recreation landscapes in the Crowsnest Pass, and I believe it deserves a much more careful approach.”
The planning process is expected to continue before any harvesting begins, with residents, recreation users and local officials watching to see whether further changes are made to the proposed Mount Tecumseh harvest plan.