Rocky Mountain House Area Update

National Historic Site Prescribed Fire

Posted on Thu, Mar 31, 2016

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What's Happening?
Alberta Agriculture & Forestry and Clearwater Regional Fire Rescue Services will be assisting Parks Canada with the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site Prescribed Fire. Operations are scheduled to commence April 2 and may continue through the weekend pending weather conditions. This 100 hectare prescribed fire is located 7 km west of of Rocky Mountain House. This prescribed fire plays an important role in reducing the wildfire risk to the national historic site, and improving forage for the resident bison herd.

Why?
The goal is to safely use fire to reduce the wildfire risk for the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site and surrounding lands.
The protection of the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site is important to Canadian cultural heritage for its cultural value and to maintain cultural integrity. No prescribed fire activity has occurred at this site since the inception of the historic site in 1979. Pre-European settlement evidence indicates that there were fires in the area of moderate intensity and low severity. Additional objectives for this prescribed fire include:
• Overall improvement of bison forage quality
• Decreased parasitic load in the pasture
• Toxic plant removal to decrease forage-associated disease risk in bison herd
• Returning of fire to the landscape as was previously documented

Prescribed Fire Fact Sheet

For more information: Fire Information Officer, fire.info@pc.gc.ca, 403-760-0934


Barry A. Shellian RPFT
Area Information Coordinator
Rocky Forest Area
Department of Agriculture and Forestry
P 403.845.8351
May the forest be with you

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