Fell and burn control work has been carried in the Crowsnest Pass since the beginning of March, as crews work to eradicate Mountain Pine Beetle infestations in the area.
Control work began earlier this month, after private ground surveys were conducted in February within the municipality to determine the number of beetle infested trees.
“We’re now winding down to the final little bit,” said Chief Administrative Officer Tully Clifford. “At this point we are mainly looking to raise awareness about the program among residents, and encourage them to contact us if they are unsure about trees on their property.”
Aerial surveys conducted by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development in January identified only about 250 fading trees in the Southern Rockies, the majority of which were found in the Kananaskis.
Only a sprinkling of infested trees were identified in the area north of the Crowsnest Pass on the west side of Goat Mountain, with a few more located in the Oldman and Dutch Creek areas.
Surveys conducted in February by the municipality identified a number of additional fading trees near the Alberta/B.C. border, south of the Lakes and north of Sentinel, likely due to beetle populations migrating from Sparwood and the surrounding area.
Ground crews will continue to be in the area for the next couple of weeks, using helicopters and large burn piles to dispose of the faded trees.
Burning of the infested trees will kill beetle larvae living under the bark, and prevent the emerging beetles from attacking healthy trees.
Residents are encouraged to identify any additional affected trees on their property and report them to the municipality.