By Times Chronicle Staff

BC Parks, in collaboration with the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS), will be conducting an ecosystem maintenance and wildfire risk reduction (WRR) project covering 20 hectares in the White Lake Grasslands Protected Area. 

The work will be carried out in March and will conclude in April, with plans to start up again in the fall. The two organizations said additional treatment operations within the 20-hectare area will continue over multiple years, with BCWS crews conducting activities outside of the wildfire season.

The project focuses on ecosystem maintenance with the added benefit of wildfire risk reduction. 

“The White Lake Grasslands ecosystem has historically been an open forest–grassland environment maintained by frequent, low-intensity wildfires. With the area’s proximity to nearby communities, this natural fire cycle has been suppressed for many decades.

“As a result, forest ingrowth has increased, reducing habitat quality for native grassland species and creating heavier fuel loads that can contribute to more intense wildfires,” the two said.

Specifically, the project aims to:

  • Remove conifer ingrowth;
  • Open the forest canopy;
  • Improve conditions for grassland flora and fauna; and
  • Reduce accumulated forest fuels and overall wildfire intensity potential.

The project area includes four treatment units totalling 20 hectares, located adjacent to Myers Road, south of Johnson Crescent. BCWS crews will follow a detailed, approved fuel management prescription and will complete the work using hand treatments. 

Work will include:

  • Using chainsaws to remove selected conifer ingrowth;
  • Pruning and limbing larger trees to raise canopy height;
  • Cleaning up surface debris by piling;
  • Disposing of debris by pile burning.

Debris piles will potentially be burned in the fall, when wildfire risk is lower and venting conditions allow for proper smoke dispersal.

Following completion of these fuel treatments, a prescribed fire is planned to further enhance ecosystem health and maintain the open grassland-forest conditions. BCWS and BC Parks said additional communication will be provided prior to the initiation of any prescribed fire operations.

For public and worker safety, temporary trail and area closures should be expected during active work periods and signage will be posted at entries to active work sites, they added.

BC Parks and BCWS are also reminding residents that fuel management projects are only one part of reducing wildfire risk. “Property-level FireSmart practices are an important additional step in helping communities increase their resilience to future wildfire events,” they highlighted.

To learn more about actions you can take on your property, visit the BC FireSmart website at firesmartbc.ca .