In Edmonton, Alberta, 21 forested communities are sharing nearly $1.2 million in provincial funding to help protect people and property from potential impacts of wildfire.
Included in the allocations is a one-time grant of $442,460 to the County of Grande Prairie to reduce local fire risk by removing pine beetle-killed trees from nearby forests. Each of the remaining 21 grants are for up to $50,000 provided under the province’s FireSmart program for projects to reduce wildfire risks to local communities.
“Fire is nature’s way of renewing the boreal forest, but the same forest also contains hundreds of Alberta communities that risk suffering a wildfire just because of where they are,” said Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Minister Frank Oberle, noting that 60 per cent of the province is forested. “The FireSmart grant program is one way we can help Alberta communities reduce their exposure to fire risk.”
Oberle said the combination of communities, forests and fire can be tragic, as demonstrated when parts of the Town of Slave Lake were destroyed in mid-May by a wildfire, believed caused by arson that began in forests southeast of the community.
Alberta’s 2011 wildfire season saw more than 1,200 fires burn over 946,000 hectares and threaten several communities. The FireSmart program aims to reduce risk of wildfire losses by promoting activities such as planning and development controls, tree thinning, public education, training and emergency management. The program provides funding to municipalities, municipal districts and counties, Métis Settlements and registered non-profit societies within Alberta’s forested areas for projects that reduce the risk of wildfire to their communities.
“We all can do our part to reduce the hazards of wildfire,” said Oberle, noting that actions such as using fire-resistant materials on buildings and following simple landscaping practices allow individuals to contribute to creating FireSmart communities.
Eligible projects that may be carried out with the grant money include:
- Vegetation management programs, such as tree thinning, that reduce wildfire risk;
- FireSmart education programs;
- Development of FireSmart community plans;
- Development and implementation of FireSmart bylaws; and,
- Implementation of cross-training initiatives to help prepare emergency responders from various agencies to respond to a wildfire.
A Homeowners FireSmart Manual available at srd.alberta.ca/Wildfire/FireSmart provides the following tips for homeowners:
- Prune tree branches within two metres of the ground.
- Thin out your trees so crowns are three to six metres apart.
- Plant trees that are leaf-bearing like aspen or willow.
- Remove trees that are within 10 metres of your home.
FireSmart Community Grant projects and recipients
The FireSmart Community Grant Program Selection Committee has approved the following twenty-one applicants for funding under the FireSmart Community Grant Program for 2011/2012 along with a single grant allocation for the County of Grande Prairie:
- Town of Canmore - $50,000 - vegetation management
- Town of Rainbow Lake - $43,200 - training and vegetation management
- Town of Fox Creek - $36,150 - vegetation management
- Town of Edson - $50,000 - vegetation management
- Town of Swan Hills - $38,000 - training and vegetation management
- Summer Village of Island Lake - $38,000 - vegetation management
- Kananaskis Improvement District for Easter Seals Camp Horizon - $50,000 - vegetation management
- Athabasca County for White Gull and Crooked Lake - $36,000 - vegetation management
- Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 for Chipewyan Lake - $15,000 - FireSmart planning
- Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 for Red Earth Creek - $15,000 - FireSmart planning
- Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 for Wabasca - $15,000 - FireSmart planning
- Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8 - $30,000 - FireSmart planning for multiple communities
- Westlock County for Long Island Lake - $47,500 - vegetation management and emergency preparedness
- Municipality of Crowsnest Pass - $50,000 - FireSmart planning, training and education
- Summer Village of Island Lake South - $37,000 - vegetation management
- Summer Village of Whispering Hills - $37,000 - vegetation management
- Town of Hinton - $50,000 - vegetation management
- Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 for Peerless Lake - $15,000 - emergency planning
- Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 for Sandy Lake - $15,000 - emergency planning
- Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17 for Trout Lake - $15,000 - emergency planning
- Locality of Crimson Lake - $50,000 - emergency planning
- County of Grande Prairie - $442,460 - vegetation management
