A plan to make Bragg Creek a fire safe community is getting opposition from people who use the area for recreation.
Alberta's Forest Management Plan contracted Spray Lake Sawmills to clear cut several hectares west of the hamlet to reduce the forest fire threat.
The dozens of trails are used year round by hikers, skiers and bikers.
Rick Arthur's job is to make sure the community doesn't burn to the ground and he is cutting down a series of trees to prevent that from happening.
Clearing the trees will create areas of young and old forest where the young areas act as a natural fire break.
Arthur is finding a lot of opposition by people in the area, but says the Forest Management Plan is important for their safety.
"There's still opportunity for changes, but to turn it into a logging show, no this is not logging, this is about reducing the risk of wildfire to the community, and that's the important message here," said Rick Arthur, Wild Fire Prevention Officer.
Sustain Kananaskis is spreading the word about the project which they say will affect 19 out of the 20 official trails in Bragg Creek's network.
Peter Tucker says he wants the province and the contractor to understand how people will be impacted by the forest management agreement.
"From a fire mitigation perspective, people want to have some input in finding that balance between protecting the community from wildfire but also maintaining the recreational values and the natural capital," said Tucker who is the spokesperson for Sustain Kananaskis.
An open house is being held to discuss the plan at the Bragg Creek Community Centre on Thursday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.
The project is expected to begin in the summer of 2012 and will take about nine months.
