Some clean-up work is underway at the parking lot access near Bourget and trailheads for the recreational trails in the community forest. But Louis Prévost, planning and forestry director for the United Counties of Prescott-Russell (UCPR) noted during a phone interview May 27 that the storm did « very, very minor » damage to the hiking, cycling and other recreational trails in the community forest.
« We have a good idea where the brunt of (real) damage is, » said Prévost, adding that any significant damage may have happened to some of the tree plantation areas in the Wendover portion of the community forest far from the recreational trails site.
Prévost’s staff will do on-site inspections of the plantation areas and other parts of the community forest to assess actual damage from the storm. Aerial drone flights of areas hard-to-reach on the ground will also be part of the survey. Damage survey details will help with salvage operations on fallen timber.
« We will need to do that soon, » said Prévost, regarding storm salvage work. He noted that some species of tree will become unsalvageable if the fallen timber is left too long on the ground.
Prévost expects to have a preliminary report UCPR council on storm damage and salvage plans for the Larose Forest early in June.
