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Banff National Park of Canada

Fire & Vegetation Management Information Bulletin No. 3, May 2007

Prescribed Fires
Dormer
Mt. Nestor
Ya Ha Tinda
Baker Creek
Upper Saskatchewan

Prescribed Fires
Fire managers are using prescribed fire to reverse the affects of decades of fire suppression on fire-dependent ecosystems in Banff National Park. This year, three spring and two fall prescribed fires are planned to help restore the important role of fire in forest and grassland ecosystems in the park.

Map of 2007 prescribed fire locations in Banff National Park.
© Parks Canada
PDF version (121 Kb)

SPRING PRESCRIBED FIRES

Dormer Prescribed Fire
The Dormer area, about 45 km north of the Banff townsite and adjacent to the east park boundary, is scheduled once again for spring burn treatment this year. About 200 hectares of this 1200 hectare unit was burned in the spring of 2006, followed by guard burning last fall. This spring's prescribed fire is scheduled for mid-May to early June.

For more information contact Kathy Burden, Fire Communications Officer, Banff National Park at 403.762.1447 or email kathy.burden@pc.gc.ca .

Mt. Nestor Prescribed Fire
Parks Canada will be working cooperatively with the province of Alberta to carry out this 1426 hectare prescribed fire. It will take place between May and June 2007 in an area on the boundary between Banff National Park and Spray Valley Provincial Park in Kananaskis Country.

The prescribed fire is planned to cover a 7-kilometre area along the south and southwest facing slopes where Mount Nestor meets the Spray Reservoir in Spray Valley Provincial Park. Sixty percent (863 hectares) will be burned inside Banff National Park, with another 563 hectares on provincial lands.

For more information contact Steve Donelon, Heritage Protection Team Leader, Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation, and Culture at 403.678.5500, ext. 282.

Ya Ha Tinda / Hat Mountain
Between April to June, 2007, Parks Canada will be working co-operatively with Alberta Sustainable Resource Development to carry out a prescribed fire on the Hat Mountain slope adjacent to the Ya Ha Tinda Ranch. About 20 ha of guard burning has taken place already in this 1200 hectare unit. The area is located within the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies approximately 1 km north of the Ya Ha Tinda Ranch.

For more information contact Rita Stagman, Communications Officer, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development at 780.542.6616.

Why?

Prescribed fire is an important tool in maintaining the diversity of fire-dependent species in Banff National Park. This spring, BNP fire managers will conduct these prescribed fires to improve wildlife habitat, reduce the susceptibility of forest stands to the attack and spread of mountain pine beetle, and create fire breaks to reduce the threat of wildfire to local communities and surrounding areas.

Bighorn sheep resting near small grass fire.
© Parks Canada / Alex Taylor / May 2003

FALL PRESCRIBED FIRES

Park interpreter discusses prescribed fire with park visitor at a roadside exhibit.

Prescribed fires provide great opportunities to watch and learn about fire. To get the inside story, watch for park interpreters during peak burning times this fall.
© Parks Canada / Lori Horrocks / Sept. 2006

Baker Creek
An 800 ha prescribed fire is planned this fall for the Baker Creek Valley, 2 km east of highway 1A. This project aims to:

help restore grizzly bear habitat quality in upper Baker Creek,
reduce mountain pine beetle habitat in the upper Bow Valley,
enhance natural fire barriers in the area, and
help restore the historic fire cycle in Banff National Park.

Some cutting and pile burning will begin this summer as crews enhance a fireguard along the southern edge of the unit. Ignition on the main unit could begin as early as September 3.

For more information contact Omar McDadi, Fire Communications Officer, Parks Canada, ph. 403.522.1278, or email omar.mcdadi@pc.gc.ca.

Baker Creek Prescribed Fire, Fall 2007
Frequently Asked Questions

Upper Saskatchewan
A 2550 ha prescribed fire is proposed for the Saskatchewan Crossing area of Banff National Park this fall. This project is part of a larger prescribed fire being planned jointly with the province of Alberta. The project covers a total of 7900 ha of forest along the north side of Highway 11 from the Icefields Parkway to the western edge of Kootenay Plains Ecological Reserve.

Burning will help maintain and restore fire as an ecological process in this fire-adapted ecosystem. It will also reduce the potential threat of large wildfire in the area, and help limit the spread of mountain pine beetle into new habitat in Alberta.

Work has begun on creating a key fireguard along the edge of Kootenay Plains Ecological Reserve. Ignition on the main unit could begin around mid-August, but is dependent upon final plan approval and appropriate weather conditions.

For more information contact Rita Stagman, Communications Officer, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development at 780.542.6616, or Omar McDadi, Fire Communications Officer, Parks Canada, ph. 403.522.1278, or email omar.mcdadi@pc.gc.ca.

Upper North Saskatchewan River Prescribed Fire

Mountain Pine Beetle

Parks Canada's policy provides the following direction to Banff National Park regarding mountain pine beetle (MPB):

Native insects and diseases are natural ecological processes that should be allowed to proceed without interference if possible.

Where insects or disease pose a serious threat to provincial lands, intervention may occur, provided that it is effective and does not damage the park ecosystem.

To achieve both of these objectives, Banff National Park has established two different areas where different strategies are applied:

Long term management zone: Prescribed fires are lit to reduce the extent of MPB habitat, thus preventing a large build-up of the beetle population.

Short term management zone: Beetle colonized areas are burned by prescribed fire, cut and removed, or cut and burned to slow the growth of the beetle population. Pheromone baiting is used to concentrate beetle colonization to known areas.

Map of mountain pine beetle management zones near Banff townsite.
Mountain pine beetle management zones in the Lake Minnewanka and Banff townsite area of Banff National Park.
© Parks Canada
PDF version (128 Kb)

2007 Update

Short term management zone:

7700 colonized trees have been removed by cut and burn or by mechanical removal since 2002
4420 ha. of attacked and susceptible forest were burned in 2003
By fall, 2006, the number of green attacked trees had declined to 500; these were burned over winter

Long term management zone:
The number of colonized trees has declined by about 80%, possibly due to over-winter mortality, and cool summers causing late flights of the adults

Current situation
In all areas, the beetle is now in a two year life cycle (it takes longer for it to mature and fly out to infect new trees)

Prescribed fires
Three prescribed fires are planned or proposed for 2007 to help manage mountain pine beetle. Mt. Nestor, Baker Creek and Upper Saskatchewan prescribed fires will help reduce pine beetle habitat and create a more diverse forest which is more resistant to beetle attack over the long term.

Information
Banff Information Centre
224 Banff Avenue
Telephone: 403.762.1550
Email: banff.vrc@pc.gc.ca

Lake Louise Visitor Centre
Samson Mall
Telephone: 403.522.3833
Email: ll.info@pc.gc.ca

Fire News: Banff National Park

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