Update from the Greater Bragg Creek FireSmart Committee
Way to Go Creekers – Another Successful Chipper Day Event!
A sunny September Chipper weekend marked the first neighbourhood event in Wintergreen and Elk Valley. A big “shout out” to the volunteer fire fighters with Rocky View County Fire Services and Redwood Meadows Emergency Services for making our Community safer. Creekers delivered over 160 loads of green waste for chipping/ recycling this year (3x more than last year).
Councillor Kamachi sponsored a hamburger BBQ with these Chipper events – thanks to Bragg Creek Food Town, Sugar Shake Bakery and the Cinnamon Spoon for your support. More Chipper Day events are being planned – let us know if your neighbourhood would host an event.
New Grant Program to Help Protect Your Property from Fires and Floods
Here’s an awesome idea! Rocky View County with the Canadian Red Cross is providing free Home Flood and FireSmart Protection Assessments and corresponding grants to Rocky View residents to reduce the threats from fires and floods. The partnership is a first in Alberta to build both flood and fire resiliency into a community.
The fire grants are aimed at reducing flammable vegetation in the FireSmart Home Ignition Zone (0 to 10 meters around structures). The grant will cover removal of 3 trees up to $1,500 and pruning of up to $100 per property (apply at www.rockyview.ca/protect). There is a limit on the available grants, so don’t wait to get started!
Learning to Coexist with Wildfire
Learn from experts about forests, fire behavior and structure protection in a 45 minute CBC program “Into the Fire” (www.cbc.ca/natureofthings/m/episodes/into-the-fire). The impact of ember/firebrands ignition of structures in the 2016 Fort McMurray fire is highlighted – and underscores the benefits of the above Rocky View-Red Cross partnership. Did you know that slope and terrain is a big factor in wildfire behavior and ember transport? The wildfires this year in Northern Alberta are another (unfortunate and re-occurring) sign of aging forests with climate change.
HELP WANTED: Join the Greater Bragg Creek FireSmart Committee!
Rocky View County is seeking applications from Creekers to join the FireSmart Committee. The term of the current appointees expires at the end of October 2019 – for more info, contact Tyler at TAndreasen@rockyview.ca.
The Committee’s activities have included vegetation management (successful Chipper Days; FireSmarting of County Hamlet lands; and planned work in the Bragg Creek Provincial Park) and education (new Fire Hazard signs; starting a super Facebook page; presentations to several groups; assisting with a preliminary Bragg Creek Area FireSmart Exposure/Pathway Assessments; running the May 2019 Expert Seminar/Open House; and an upcoming Banded Peak School program). The new Committee starts with a good “to-do list”: developing cooperative work programs with Community/school groups; further expansion of vegetation management programs; inclusion of FireSmart measures into planning guidelines; input into the forthcoming Bragg Creek Emergency Evacuation Procedures.
On behalf of your FireSmart Committee, we want to thank you for your active participation in the FireSmart program and support of improvements to enhance the safety of our Community! Every bit helps!
