Some residents of the Ghost Valley, west of Cochrane, are upset that logging trucks have been granted permission to use local roads to haul timber.
“The road use decision is a stinging disappointment in a series of disappointments for the community,” said resident Sharon MacDonald.
Spray Lakes Sawmills has cleared regulatory hurdles with the Bighorn municipal district to use Richards and Jamieson roads to access a three-square-kilometre section of forest for clear cutting.
The work will take place over the next two winters.
The decision is the latest setback for local residents who oppose the pace of logging in the area.
MacDonald says she and other community members believe the trucks hauling logs pose a public safety hazard.
They are concerned about the impact on the local watershed, which drains into the Bow River, as well as the impact on tourism.
Spray Lakes Sawmills says it hired an engineer to perform a safety assessment of the road and the transport plan before it was approved.