Fireguards to protect residents also a boon to Alberta wildlife

Fireguards are designed to protect people and communities by clearing land to slow the spread of wildfires.

From Lake Louise through Banff and Canmore into Kananaskis Country, hundreds of hectares of forest have been removed in the last five years, with more to come.

But residents and visitors aren’t the only ones benefitting.

Wildlife such as elk, grizzly bears and birds are also taking advantage of the work.

“They use the opening to move, but they’re mainly using the opening to feed,” said Shelley Tamelin, a wildfire risk reduction manager for Parks Canada.

Wildlife are inevitably impacted as fireguards are built.

Animals steer clear as human and machine increase, but when work is finished they often return.

The newly exposed land and growth of willows, grasses and shrubs create fresh food more room for wildlife to move, said Bill Hunt, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative's senior director of conservation programs.

“That offers a whole bunch of habitat opportunities that weren’t there before for nesting birds, for foraging ungulates, for black bears and grizzly bears feeding on things like buffaloberries,” Hunt said.

Hunt is a former long-time Parks Canada employee worked on human-wildlife co-existence for decades. He said fireguards can help guide wildlife to move around communities, meaning fewer conflicts between humans and wildlife.

Tamelin said a secondary goal of fireguards is giving wildlife safe open space to move.

“We don’t really want them roadside. We don’t really want them hanging out on the train tracks,” she said. “Those aren't safe areas for them and there's more chances for negative visitor interactions if they’re in those areas.”

Planning for fireguards takes about five to 10 years before trees are removed.

The best landscape for fireguards are areas with natural openings, since fewer trees will be removed. Officials hold consultations with regional groups and governments to find potential issues, and conduct studies to see if there are negative impacts on area wildlife.