Dear editor,
We know for a fact that the aging forest caused by decades of fire suppression and a succession of mild winters are promoting the pine beetle expansion in large areas of our park and others. It is easy to see the consequences of this disease around our town and in rapidly growing areas of our park.
The sheer volume of dead and dying pine trees represent an incredible amount of fuel ready to ignite under the right conditions and threaten our town. I wonder how we could’ve let this problem grow to its current state.
In Section 3.2.3 of its “Guiding Principles and Operational Policies” Parks Canada states: “National park ecosystems will be managed with minimal interference to natural processes. However, active management may be allowed when the structure or function of an ecosystem has been seriously altered and manipulation is the only possible alternative available to restore ecological integrity.”
Section 3.2.4 further states that: “Provided that park ecosystems will not be impaired, the manipulation of naturally occurring processes such as fire, insects and disease may take place when no reasonable alternative exists and when monitoring has demonstrated that without limited intervention:
- i) there will be serious adverse effects on neighbouring lands; or
- ii) major park facilities, public health or safety will be threatened; or
- iii) the objectives of a park management plan prescribing how certain natural features or cultural resources are to be maintained cannot be achieved.”
It is hard to understand why Parks isn’t applying these guiding principles immediately and taking the necessary actions in order to keep our town safe. Am I the only one thinking that our ecosystem in Jasper has been seriously altered?
The Mountain Pine Beetle Jasper National Park Management Plan 2016 recommended by Salman Rasheed, Resource Conservation Manager and approved by Alan Fehr, Field Unit Superintendent on July 22, 2016 states, among other things, that:
“Mountain pine beetle expansion in Jasper National Park and associated forest mortality ‘may’ increase wildfire risk to values on neighbouring lands. As well, mountain pine beetle induced forest mortality within Jasper National Park ‘may’ increase the wildfire risk to values in the Park including Jasper townsite and major outlying developments.”
With such an assertion, I am led to believe that Parks Canada “may” have underestimated and still underestimates the critical situation in which we find ourselves today. Talking to (JNP spokesperson) Steve Young last Friday, May 11, he was convinced that Parks Canada had done a lot of prevention during the winter, including cutting trees at Wabasso and Whistler campgrounds. Honestly, driving by there last Saturday, I did not see much improvement. It is still dead red.
If Parks Canada was unable to implement wildfire risk reduction strategies on Pyramid Bench as planned for Fall 2017, and with plans being so far behind schedule each year, what guarantee do we have that they will be able to achieve what has been planned for January 2019? Our situation will continue to worsen, and it is perfectly legitimate to believe that Parks Canada is putting the safety of Jasper residents, businesses and visitors at unnecessarily high risk as a result of this inaction.
According to Mr. Young, Jasper experienced a drop in visitors last July. According to him, not only did B.C. forest fire smoke curb park attendance, it was also believed that the fire ban was an important factor. Well, if our town were to burn this summer, than I predict that Parks Canada will notice an even bigger drop in visitation (0). Our town exists because of tourism and tourism exists because of our incredible natural surroundings. I am dismayed that Parks Canada has had such a narrow short-term focus for so long and hasn’t allocated more resources towards fire smart prevention over the years. We now have to deal with the effects of such poor planning and management.
Since we are in an extraordinary situation, I demand that Parks Canada immediately takes extraordinary actions in order to protect our town. These actions would include urgently continuing the wildfire risk reduction on Pyramid Bench, cut every infested and dead red tree that are a threat to our town and finally, to issue a fire ban effective immediately.
I would like to invite all residents, businesses and visitors to rise up and lend their voices to address their concerns and lobby Parks Canada on this issue. Jasper is our community with its people coming from all over Canada and from all over the world to live, to work here and to visit. Let’s all come together and make things happen!
There has to be a balance between protecting the environment and public safety. The current situation represents a direct threat to both. The time has come for swift and concrete actions to preserve the environment that sustains this town and the people living in it.
I would like to acknowledge my appreciation to our municipality town council and in particularly to our Protective Services initiative in order to keep the community informed and as safe as it can be in our new reality. Mr. Greg Van Tighem, we are very fortunate to have you as the fire chief and you personally have all of my trust, support and sincere gratitude.
Marie-France Miron
Jasper
