Kaslo, B.C. – As wildfires continue to increase in frequency and severity, the Kaslo and District Community Forest Society (KDCFS) completed a wildfire risk reduction project, covering approximately 8 hectares of KDCFS’s tenure and 2 hectares of Crown land within the Wildland Urban Interface. With funding support from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), the fuel reduction work focused on selectively removing trees to reduce the high fuel content and excess forest debris within a high-use recreation area that has an extensive bike trail network. This fuel reduction treatment will help protect the community from wildfires and serve to enhance both wildlife habitat and recreational values.
“As wildfire seasons grow longer and more intense, projects like this are critical for reducing fuels in forests near communities,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests. “My thanks go to the Kaslo and District Community Forest Society for taking on this important community-driven work, better protecting our forests and communities while creating jobs for local workers and contractors.”
The treatment area was initially identified in the Kaslo Community Wildfire Protection Plan as a priority treatment area, as the site had the forest characteristics, location, and attributes to be considered high-risk, from the perspective of community wildfire risk reduction. The project complements the goals and objectives of the Village of Kaslo’s ongoing FireSmart and fuel modification programming to better protect the community from future wildfires.
“Funding this project aligns with FESBC’s purposes to help create a more fire-resilient community and restore a recreation area that has a well-used trail network within it,” noted Travis Emsland, Registered Professional Forester (RPF), Operations Manager with FESBC, adding that the total amount of funding allocated for the project was $96,900.
(Left to Right): Area before the treatment; Burning piles in the treatment area following the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulations. Photo Credit: Craig Barschel; Post-treatment area, with evidence of small diameter thinning. Photo Credit: FESBC.
“Given the increasing number and severity of wildfires, this type of wildfire risk reduction work is becoming vital in and around communities in British Columbia. Without the funding and support from FESBC, this work would have not been possible for us to take on,” shared Jeff Reyden, RPF, Manager of KDCFS. “This was a full phase wildfire risk reduction project, from a pre-treatment survey including wildfire assessment plots, to Treatment Unit layout, to the development of a Fuel Management Prescription (FMP) and implementation of the work, which was a manual, thin from below treatment.”
Thinning from below involves removing the ladder fuels, which are the smaller trees that are suppressed beneath the upper layer of a forest, favouring the most vigorous, healthy trees which helps improve overall forest health. Ground fuels are also removed, as well as pruning the residual stems up to 2 metres. As noted by Reyden, the pre-treatment surveys started in the spring of 2023, followed by FMP development later that summer.
John Cathro, a long-time Kaslo resident and forester with a background in wildfire risk reduction, was hired by KDCFS to develop the FMP, which is required prior to conducting forestry activities of this type on Crown land.
“FMPs are planning documents that describe the site, identify the values to be protected, provide cutting specifications, and set our fire behaviour objectives to be achieved,” said Cathro.
Community consultation followed in the fall of 2023, with KDCFS hosting community field tours and communicating with local trail groups such as the Kaslo Mountain Bike Club and the Kaslo Outdoor Recreation and Trails Society, as a recreation trail traversed the area.
Given that the area had limited access off the highway, the teams collaborated with adjacent landowners to get approval for access and to remove small diameter logs and firewood.
“The community forest got in touch to let me know the plan and ask whether they could use my driveway as access to do the work. I was out of the country at the time, but the community forest kept me, and my tenant, apprised of what was happening. They kept everything tidy too, which was highly appreciated,” shared Taylor Martin, who owns the land adjacent to the area.
Once the consultation component was completed, implementation commenced in December and the work was finished by April 2024.
The thinning process was led by Craig Barschel, another local contractor, who followed the cutting specifications outlined in the Fuel Management Prescription. The work included danger/wildlife tree assessments, danger tree falling, creating piles for burning, burning piles according to the Open Burning Smoke Control Regulations, ensuring adherence to safety protocols, and liaising with KDCFS on project progress.
“The thinning process removed hazardous forest fuels, which help better protect the community from wildfires. By selectively removing trees, the project allowed remaining trees more access to sunlight and nutrients, promoting a healthier and more resilient forest,” noted Barschel.
By implementing projects like this one, KDCFS is helping contribute to community resilience in a time of more extreme wildfire threats and creating conditions that may enable ground crews to safely action wildfires in the future.
In addition, the project created family-supporting jobs for local workers and contractors involved throughout the planning and implementation stages, further showcasing holistic forest management for a diversity of values, including social and economic ones.
As Reyden explained, “Coarse woody debris, wildlife trees and some patches of regeneration were factored into the prescription and implementation of the project to ensure biodiversity and wildlife habitat values were recognized. Additionally, crews salvaged good quality sawlogs and firewood that would have otherwise been burned.”
Feedback received from private landowners and community members has been positive, with some recreation groups talking about building additional trails within the treated area due to its park-like setting following the work.
The collaboration of KDCFS and FESBC is an example of how community-driven initiatives can achieve important environmental and economic goals with the right investment of funding and expertise.
“I’m proud to have been part of this project. It is more than just wildfire mitigation. It’s about creating a healthier, more resilient forest ecosystem. By doing this forest management work, we’re ensuring future generations can enjoy the beauty and benefits of this special place,” said Barschel.
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“We know from seeing the response to devastating fires over the last few years, and just last summer when Kaslo was surrounded by fires in both the New Denver and Argenta areas, that local knowledge and planning is key when preparing for fire season in the Kootenays,” said Brittny Anderson, MLA for Kootenay-Central. “It’s great to see funding from the Province for local organizations like the Kaslo and District Community Forest Society to take on this essential risk reduction work. We’re better when we work together.”
FESBC would like to gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Forests.