Fairholme Prescribed Fire, May 2003 (Randy Komar photo, Rocky Mountain Outlook).
In this theme a group of long-time participants from Parks Canada’s Banff National Park fire management teams and other concerned folks can contribute to help describe the trials and tribulations of our current culture coming to grips with the Canadian Rockies fire regime. As forest biomass, human infrastructure, and visitation increase across the landscape, the Bow Valley is now in a crisis– a wicked problem with no easy solutions.
I’ll add webpages to this album using this draft outline as folks dig out their old photos and memories. Many of these reminiscences may be fairly well “burned in”.
One option for future use of this hard-earned corporate and forest knowledge could be background reference for the preparation of a “Community Forest Wildfire Protection Handbook” that might be used in certification courses at several institutions. Canada could train and graduate dozens of specialists in this endeavor for the price of purchasing and operating a single new waterbomber. I think most of us would agree that a community forester working with land managers to creatively manage a broad zone between houses and wildland or working forests is a wise investment to better protect communities.
