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Posted: October 25, 2023

Forest thinning work coming near Dry Gulch

Later this month, fire crews will be selectively removing and/or limbing vegetation (branches, logs, shrubs) in the Dry Gulch area of southwestern Kootenay National Park, Parks Canada reports.

This is part of a five-year project to reduce Douglas fir forest encroachment on approximately 800 hectares of surrounding grassland ecosystems.

Thinning the forest will reduce wildfire risk and restore grassland habitat for badgers and ungulates like Bighorn sheep, Parks Canada explains.

“This project will contribute to the larger restoration efforts in the Redstreak Restoration area and the Stoddart Creek Restoration area (provincial) to restore open forests and grasslands. Decades of fire exclusion in this area has contributed to dense interior Douglas-fir stands that have crowded out grassland habitat. This has resulted in high fuel loads, increase probability of crown versus surface fires, loss of valuable understory forage and increased vulnerability to insect and disease damage (Government of BC, 2020),” Parks Canada outlined.

There are a number of public use areas surrounding the project area, including Dry Gulch Provincial Park, Redstreak Campground and a mobile home park located along Highway 95. “Reducing fuel loads in the forest will lower the risk of a damaging wildfire in the area, which may threaten public infrastructure, private homes, and public use areas. The total project area is approximately 360 hectares.”

There will not be any restrictions to visitors during operations.

Learn more.

Lead image: Before (L) and after (R): Thinning of vegetation in the Dry Gulch grassland ecosystem restores habitat for wildlife and increases wildfire resilience. Credit: Parks Canada/J. Richardson

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