Although West Central Alberta has so far escaped the ravages of Mountain Pine beetle, government and other stakeholders are continuing to monitor the situation very closely, says Alberta Sustainable Resource Development spokesperson Duncan MacDonnell.
ìThere's really nothing going on in your area right now,î said Duncan. ìThere are two infestations in Alberta, one in the southwest and one in the north and you are in between the two. You are free and clear at the moment, but we are watching.
ìWe are continually monitoring the area. The biggest danger is the risk of in flights from British Columbia; that's the real risk we are facing (in West Central Alberta). There's always the danger that the winds will carry them into the area.î
Last week the province announced that it had awarded more than 30 contracts for extensive detection and removal work in northwest Alberta.
The work involves 600 contract employees and is expected to result in removal of about 170,000 infested trees. Most of the contract workers were deployed by mid-January and all are expected to complete their work by the end of March.
None of the work is planned for West Central Alberta.
ìWe're putting people to work to cut and burn infested trees before the beetles inside can hatch and attack more trees,î Sustainable Resource Development Minister Mel Knight said in announcing the new contracts.
ìThe contracts are part of Alberta's approach to managing the threat infestations pose to the health of our forests.î
The Alberta government is providing $15 million for the contract work. In total, $30 million in disaster assistance has been provided this year to combat mountain pine beetle infestations, including field surveys and control work, grants to municipalities, seed collecting and pheromone monitoring.
Forest companies in the province, including Sundre Forest Products, are helping to reduce the MPB threat by harvesting high-risk stands, he said.
ìThe companies are changing their schedules to harvest in the more heavily infested areas first, which lets us concentrate our control work in other areas to best advantage.
Mountain pine beetles threaten six million hectares of Alberta forest containing pine stands.
Alberta's objectives are to minimize the spread of beetles north and south along the Eastern Slopes, and prevent beetles from spreading further east in the boreal forest, he said.
Failing to do so would put watershed health, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, community sustainability and the province's forest industry at risk, he said.
Anyone coming across evidence of Mountain Pine Beetle, including pitch tubes, in the district should contact the Sundre Forestry office as soon as possible, he said.
