The Wildfire Mitigation Strategy reduces the risk of wildfires and their impact on lives and infrastructure by following FireSmart™ guidelines and supporting FireSmart™ programs.

Who does the strategy impact?

The strategy heavily affects forested public and Crown lands in the county, reducing wildfire risk for residents in those areas.

How was the strategy created?

Launched in 2010 under the Mountain Pine Beetle program, the strategy focused on Wapiti Dunes and Aspen Ridge. County staff worked with various groups to assess risk and create a plan to help mitigate future wildfire risks in additional areas. County Council approved the strategy in 2015, and in late 2024, the plan is being updated with input from forestry experts. The updated report will be available in mid-2025.

How is it funded?

Funding of these projects has been possible with grants from Alberta Forestry, Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA), and timber harvest revenue.

FireSmart™ Projects 

The following FireSmart™ Projects aim to meet the goals of our Wildfire Mitigation Strategy:

Priority #1 The Dunes and Aspen Ridge areas (Completed 2017)

Patches of dead trees were removed, and harvested timber was sold to off-set costs where possible. Work in the Wapiti Dunes area began with removal of Mountain Pine Beetle infested trees and then removal of dead and dying trees. The work in the Aspen Ridge area was the final stage of this treatment area and it was completed in 2017. 

Priority #2 Southeast of Bear Creek (Completed 2018)

Where possible, harvested timber was again sold to off-set the project costs. This work was completed in December 2018. 

Priority #3 Highway 40 West (On-going)

The Highway 40 West total area encompasses over 1,100 hectares of land located north of the Wapiti River and west of Highway 40. This includes public lands in the area of rural subdivisions of the Ranch, Dunes West, Deer Ridge Estates and Mystic Ridge, and is just south of Deer Run Estates and Park Meadows. The first phase of Priority 3 included planning informed by public participation as well as education sessions, and was completed in 2021. The final report on the public participation is available on the engagement page.

Progress has been made with vegetation management and fuel reduction in this area. Treatment area #1 began in 2023. The Dunes West wildfire delayed the work for several weeks and construction of a fire guard on the southern boundary reduced the treatment area from 23 to 19.09 hectares. The final debris cleanup on the site occurred in 2024.

In 2025, the County will continue fuel reduction in this area. A variety of treatment methods will be used including thinning and pruning, mulching, and selective harvesting of merchantable timber.