Federal documents showed that full precautions were not taken to help protect Jasper, Alta., from wildfires, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
The 2022 Jasper National Park management plan told Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault that managers had yet to carry out all controlled burns of acres of dead whitebark pine trees that posed an obvious fire risk.
Almost half of Jasper’s whitebark pine forest (about 44%) was infected by beetles.
“A mountain pine beetle infestation has brought significant change to forests in Alberta, including Jasper National Park, with consequences for wildfire risk,” Guilbeault was told.
The plan proposed “wildfire risk reduction measures around the Jasper townsite,” such as controlled burns of dead pine.
“Prescribed fire is used to maintain and augment thinned areas and restore open forests,” it said.
However, few steps were taken to reduce the risk to Jasper, records showed.
“Fire has not yet been applied for whitebark pine restoration,” said a 2022 implementation report.
“Mechanical thinning has been completed in 1.6 hectares which is a small area relative to the amount of whitebark pine habitat.”
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The report said no reason was given for why all of the controlled burns weren’t carried out.
Parks managers two years ago wrote that “targeted burns, with the goal of implementing at least two every five years,” would be followed with tree planting to replace dead pine.
“It is likely 520,000 seedlings may be required,” said the implementation report.
But the report said that only 18,000 seedlings were planted.
Parks Canada exclusively controls Jasper’s zoning and development and all surrounding Crown lands. It was designated as a national park in 1907 and is home to five national historic sites and part of the Rocky Mountain park system, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1990.