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Over the years, the wildfire threat rose around our community. There is more to it than just climate change

Historically, the fire cycles maintained the grassland habitat and forest’s health and diversity of plants and wildlife. A history of aggressive and highly effective wildfire suppression has resulted in a significant build-up of forest fuels, greater tree encroachment on grasslands and ‘in-filling’ of once open, dry forests. This has increased the risk of devastating wildfires and negatively impacted biodiversity and forest health. In addition, the growth of our town brought developments further in the forested areas, where a dense forest now surrounds properties.

In response, numerous forest management projects around the communities, like you may observe in the perimeter of CastleRock Estates, are conducted to decrease fuel overload and reduce the wildfire risk in the wildland-urban interface. Prescribed burns are another type of forest restoration and fuel management.

Photo of the Columbia Valley from Parks Canada, Conserving and restoring ecosystems page.
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/kootenay/nature/conservation/prairie-grassland

FireSmart, Intelli-feu and other associated Marks are trademarks of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.