Representatives from an environmental consultation firm helping to prepare a FireSmart plan for Sundre recently presented their initial findings of the local wildfire risk potential.
About a dozen people, including local officials and stakeholders, attended a meeting at the Sundre Legion on Thursday, Jan. 21 to begin coming up with a FireSmart plan tailored to this community.
The assessment is being carried out by CPP Environmental, which determined rural lot signage is really well standardized with blue signs and white lettering, said Nolan Duguid, environmental technician with CPP.
"That's a real positive for all emergency responders ó they know where they're going," he said, adding there are also plenty of suitable access points into natural areas to reach more forested locations with vehicles like bush buggies.
"There's the opportunity to get into those fires when they're small."
The presentation also included the risk of wildfire throughout each season and highlighted areas of concern. While some places are more at risk of ignition potential depending on the fuel types in the area, the historical risk is relatively low. There are not many large fires that have been recorded around Sundre, even within the proposed FireSmart protection zone, he said.
But just because there have not historically been any devastating fires in Sundre, does not mean it cannot happen.
"That's why we're looking at FireSmart ó the proactive approach. Do our own due diligence, whether it's the public or municipality, to approach our concerns about fire and show that we're doing something for the concerns of the community."
Moving forward with the plan, Duguid said input from the meeting would be considered before completing the assessment.
"I'll bring the drafts, get everyone to read them and then we'll come back and talk," he said, later adding, "We'll engage the public at that time as well."
By the third meeting, the consultants are hoping the plan will be accepted as the wildfire mitigation strategy, which leads up to the end of CPP's contract in June, he said.
"At that point, we're hoping you have this accepted by council and take it forward so that you guys can start with a FireSmart committee, approach for grant funding and have this document in place to start looking at FireSmart projects continuing on."
Sundre fire Chief Marty Butts inquired whether private enterprises like RV storage lots would have to apply for funding for their own subdivisions or areas.
"The funding comes from FRIAA ó the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta ó and they're provided the money from the Alberta government to administer the grants and they have some very specific rules that go with that funding," said Mike Poscente, CPP Environmental director.
"You can't do capital expenditures, and you cannot conduct work on private land. However, there are some things that the municipalities can do. So if you wanted to promote (FireSmart), they'll fund some education programs, (and) they will fund community events, where you want to bring people together and volunteer to do something."
But one of the key and critical things to do is to provide an incentive for people to do the work on their own private property, he said.
"What is permissible in the grant is to do a chipping event," he suggested.
"So long as the people bring their debris out to a public roadway, you can apply for a grant to have an arborist or some sort of chipper or truck to go through and collect that debris and dispose of it, but you cannot get funding to do anything on private land."
That idea resonated with the fire chief, who said that while landowners tend to clean up their property, they're more likely to burn the debris unless a suitable alternative is made available to them.
"It eliminates the brush piles," agreed Poscente.
Although the grant is not eligible on private land, the same does not apply to public or municipal land, he said.
"You fully qualify for the grant to do any fuel modification on those types of properties, and that'll be covered 100 per cent. It's not a matching grant."
With the community's input and involvement, the consultants can make recommendations, create a plan and highlight a map where those areas are, he said.
"Once those are in your mitigation strategy, and that mitigation strategy is approved, then you can go forward and apply for grants for those particular parcels of land."
The FireSmart planning is ongoing, and public meetings are planned for Tuesday, March 22 and Tuesday, May 10 at the Sundre Legion starting at 7 p.m. Visit firesmartcanada.ca for more information about the program.
