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I am writing
to inform you of the actions Saskatchewan Environment
(SE) is undertaking to reduce the risk of forest fire
and insect damage created by the current forest conditions
within Prince Albert National Park (PANP).
The Issue
The Province of Saskatchewan is very concerned about
the increasing spruce budworm outbreak within PANP.
SE is concerned that significant increases in budworm
initiated tree mortality is creating a serious fire
risk both inside and outside the park boundary. Spruce
Budworm infestations promote high intensity fires that
are difficult to control. Serious impacts to the provincial
economy will result should such fires spread from PANP
into adjacent provincial forests.
Recent surveys and analysis
confirm that severe defoliation levels in the PANP have
doubled over the past year. Without effective control
measures, these levels will continue to build and expand
rapidly into high quality spruce timber both inside
and outside the park boundary.
Over the past five years,
optimum budworm growth conditions have promoted a fourfold
growth in the provincial infestation area from 1.13,
00 hectares (ha) (279,000 acres) to 439,000 ha (I.1
million acres), The most significant increases in the
infestations extent and severity have originated from
areas where the province cannot or has not been able
to conduct spruce budworm spraying operations.
The attached
map shows the current distribution of major infestations
across the provincial forest zone. The most notable
are PANP and areas around La Ronge and Creighton.
The Provincial
Spruce Budworm Spray Program
The Province of Saskatchewan has
spent millions of dollars managing the outbreak in selected
areas of the province by spraying Bacillus tharingiensis
var. kurstaki (Btk). Btk has been used for over 30 years
as a biological control and has repeatedly proven an
effective, environmentally safe method for spruce budworm
control.
The purpose
of the provincial control program has been to protect
commercial forest stands for fibre supply to sawmills
and thereby protect the economic sustainability of our
expanding forest industry.
Saskatchewan Environment
Positions
SE supports the principle of Ecological
Integrity and recognizes the value of protected areas,
including the PANP forest, as ecological benchmarks.
However, historical forest fire control practices and
present non-intervention National Park policies have
created a forest age class structure within PANP and
other non-intervention areas in the provincial forest
that is un-natural. Excluding fire disturbance in the
ecosystem has preserved forests in PANP at an age and
extent significantly in excess of the natural life span
and structure of Saskatchewan's spruce forests.
This year, SE and PANP signed a fire cooperation agreement,
This agreement is useful when an active fire approaches
the Park boundary and action is required. However, it
does not address the reduction of the un-natural and
serious fire threat that the budworm outbreak creates
for lands adjacent to the Park. Present PANP policy
encourages wildfires and does not reflect the increased
risk due to budworm mortality.
Saskatchewan
Environment Response
SE has written to the Director
General and Chief Executive Officers of Parks Canada
requesting that Parks Canada invoke the appropriate
sections (sections 3.2.3 and 3,2.1) of the National
Parks Policy that consider values at risk in adjacent
lands. Parks Canada Guiding principles and policy can
be viewed at:
http://parkscanada.pch.gc.ca/Library/PC_Guiding_Principles/Park47_e.htm
SE has requested Parks Canada take corrective action
to reduce the fires hazard within the PANP boundaries
in order to protect adjacent values at risk.
The letter listed the following options,that could be
implemented by the Park. In fact, there options have
been suggested to PANP official over the past year by
SE staff,
1. changes in the PANP Vegetation Plan to reflect increased
fire risk due to the ddbudworm
mortality;
2. increased fire protection capabilities;
3. spraying of BtK to promote green protection buffers;
4. increased prescribed burn programs; and
5. the need for fire breaks.
PANP staff state
that two of these suggestions (3,5) conflict with current
Park Policy and will not be pursued. SE interpretation
of Parks Canada policy, is that manipulation of natural
processes such as insect and disease outbreaks or fire
is to be allowed when an ecosystem's structure and function
is seriously altered (such as through continuous historical
fire suppression). The policy also seems to clearly
allow for intervention in natural process in the event
that in action would lead to serious adverse effects
on neighboring lands.
With that in mind, SE has offered to work with Parks
Canada in pooling scientific advice and expertise to
aid in developing a regional plan to protect values
at risk inside and outside the park boundaries, Indeed,
SE specialists and operational personnel have provided
information and scientific expertise to Parks Canada
personnel and residents of the Waskesiu town site, on
an ongoing basis, since October, 2001.
SE had made it clear to Parks Canada staff that without
a comprehensive action plan the current PANP management
policy could result in a serious situation, In the near
future current policy will put human health and safety
at risk and significantly impact the provincial economy.
The economic impact to the province as a result of widespread
spruce budworm infected tree mortality in PANP could
be significant, and could impose a cost to the province
in the tens of millions of dollars if wildfires escape
the boundaries of Park. No action by PANP could lead
to losses in employment and the economic sustainability
of the forest sector in Saskatchewan.
If you have any questions on this matter, feel free
to call Allan Willcocks, Director of Forest Ecosystems
Branch in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan at 306-953-2486.
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