Supporting Our Community

Contributions to the Community

FireSmart High School Program

The Logan Lake Community Forest has made a long-term commitment to support continuous FireSmart employment of local youth. This key initiative is in collaboration with the District of Logan Lake and the Logan Lake Wellness, Health and Youth Society (WHY). Throughout this program, students are given an opportunity to learn valuable life and career skills in addition to learning about forest and forest management while making a difference in their community. Since the program kicked off, our youth have been highlighted in several local news stories, including the Merritt Herald and Castanet Kamloops.

District of Logan Lake Fuel Management

The Logan Lake Community Forest has been supporting the District of Logan Lake with fuel management and treatments since the inception of the Community Forest. The community is aware of the very real threat of wildland fire and continues to put public safety at the forefront. All of the wildfire risk reduction efforts in Logan Lake are guided by the Logan Lake Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and Logan Lake Wildfire Risk Management Plan (WRMP).

ORV Planning and Implementation

The Logan Lake Community Forest continues to co-fund and support local ATV groups in the planning and construction of an expansive outdoor recreation vehicle (ORV) trail network around the community. Maintenance and construction work is completed by a range of local and First Nations contractors and our trails are much safer and environmentally sustainable as a result. The ORV trail work is of significant importance to the town and its citizens; trail improvements will bring additional recreation tourism traffic to Logan Lake to Discover Our Nature.

Bursaries

Each year we offer the opportunity for local high school students to apply for the Logan Lake Community Forest Bursary and the Harry Holmquist Memorial Bursary. These are awarded in recognition of student’s academic success, meaningful community involvement, display of good character and strong work ethic, and are available to student’s pursuing post-secondary education within one-year of graduation. Applications are due in the spring every year; they are advertised on our Facebook page and available through the Logan Lake Secondary School or this link.

Canada Day Celebrations

The Logan Lake Community Forest provides annual funding to the Canada Day celebrations that take place in the community as hosted by the District of Logan Lake.

District of Logan Lake 50th Anniversary

In 2020 the District of Logan Lake celebrated its 50^th anniversary. To celebrate this milestone, the Logan Lake Community Forested gifted the town with a timeless public clock located in the town center, and a small unveiling was held with Mayor and Council as well as our Board of Directors and Forest Management Team.

Mimi Falls Trail

In celebration of Logan Lake’s 50^th anniversary, the Logan Lake Community Forest provided in-kind funding and support to the District of Logan Lake to construct an interpretive trail to Mimi Falls east of town. Starting at the Municipal Campground, this multi-user trail is suitable for walking, hiking or biking, with a viewing platform at the falls and informative signage along the way. This initiative was done in partnership with Lower Nicola Indian Band and demonstrates the community’s commitment to meaningful relationships with our First Nations neighbours. The trail traverses through the Logan Lake Community Forest and areas recently harvested for wildfire management, providing an education opportunity to showcase our activities and sustainable forest management.

Heavy Metal Rocks and Youth Education

Every year the Logan Lake Community Forest Manager visits the high school and primary school in Logan Lake to speak to our youth about forestry. In addition, we participate in the School District 73 “Heavy Metal Rocks” program which offers local students a hands-on opportunity to operate heavy equipment such as dozers, skidders, dump trucks, log processors, and a portable sawmill. We are proud to financially support students from Logan Lake in the program by covering their expenses to attend the event, provide sponsorship funds, as well as sponsoring the event in general.

Ongoing Contributions and Initiatives

Provide Social and Economic Benefits to British Columbia

The Logan Lake Community Forest has paid and will continue to pay annual rent and stumpage to the provincial government for all timber harvested in our tenure area.

Sound Principles of Environmental Stewardship

The Logan Lake Community Forest has been managing the Community Forest Agreement consistent with sound principles of environmental stewardship that reflect a broad spectrum of values. We have met all standards set in legislation and in higher-level plans. In addition, we are going beyond the basic requirements to implement best management practices to ensure sustainable forest management for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous values.

Promote Community Involvement and Participation

The Logan Lake Community Forest hosts a public open house in the early spring where stakeholders, First Nations, and the public are invited to learn about and provide input on all ongoing activities and initiatives. We also implement project or initiative driving public engagement as advertised on our Key Initiatives page. All operational planning, including cutblock and road management, as well as our strategic initiatives, such as stewardship planning, wildfire risk reduction and rehabilitation initiatives, are referred to all pertinent First Nations and stakeholders.

We have a long history of working closely with the District of Logan Lake in addition to having District representation on the Board of Directors. Participation on the Logan Lake Community Forest’s Board of Directors is open to all community members and is advertised through our Key Initiatives and Facebook pages when nominations are being accepted.

Promote Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Community Relationships

The Logan Lake Community Forest has a long history of working cooperatively and effectively with First Nations. We will continue to maintain and build our positive and mutually respectful relationships with both Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Over the years we have extended our engagement efforts to develop deeper, more meaningful relationships with our local First Nations communities. We are committed to engaging with First Nations early in project conception and development in an open, honest and transparent manner to support collaboration and foster respectful working relationships.

Advocate Forest Worker Safety

The Logan Lake Community Forest advocates for worker safety through SAFE Certification under the BC Forest Safety Council and/or other certification schemes containing a safety element. All forestry contractors and/or consulting firms operating on the Logan Lake Community Forest are required to be SAFE Certified.

Foster Innovation

The Logan Lake Community Forest is committed to progressive and thoughtful innovation in achieving our goals of sustainable forest management. We continue to collaborate with academic and research institutions, supporting local entrepreneurs to utilize forest fibre, and exploring innovation solutions in forest management to find new ways to meet our goals for the land base, such as strategic grazing in high wildfire risk areas.

Financial Contributions

As an organization working on behalf and for the benefit of the people of Logan Lake and surrounding communities, the Logan Lake Community Forest is committed to providing transparency and accountability in all aspects of our operations and financial health. The information below outlines our revenue distribution and annual financial statements.

Grant History – Annual Overview

From 2008 to 2011 there were no grants given out to the community. Since 2012, the Logan Lake Community Forest has distributed significant funds back to the community through grants, sponsorships, bursaries, and community celebrations.

Grant Year	Total Amount	Recipients
2012	$30,763.00	District of Logan Lake, Logan Lake Communities in Bloom, High School student employment (trails maintenance).
2013	$178,691.00	District of Logan Lake, Logan Lake WHY, Highland Valley Outdoor Association, Logan Lake Lions Club, High School student employment (wildfire fuels).
2014	$286,611.00	District of Logan Lake, Logan Lake WHY, Highland Valley Outdoor Association, Logan Lake Lions Club, Logan Lake Ranch & Country Club, Logan Lake Search & Rescue, Logan Lake Pond Hockey Society.
2015	$85,498.00	Logan Lake WHY, District of Logan Lake Community Wildfire Protection Program, Meadow Creek Golf Club, Logan Lake Parent/Child Mother Goose, High School student employment (wildfire fuels).
2016	$32,770.88	District of Logan Lake, Logan Lake WHY, Meadow Creek Golf Club.
2017	$1,318,996.16	District of Logan Lake, Logan Lake WHY, Meadow Creek Golf Club, Bursaries.
2018	$1,669,866.02	District of Logan Lake, Logan Lake WHY, Meadow Creek Golf Club, Bursaries, Nicola Tribal Association, Association of BC Forest Professionals.
2019	$45,457.66	District of Logan Lake, Logan Lake WHY, Heavy Metal Rocks, Bursaries, Kamloops Cattlemen’s Association.
2020	$163,692.91	District of Logan Lake, Bursaries.
TOTAL	$3,812,346.63	17 Community Partners