No Visitors: Parks Canada says only Jasper residents can return on Friday following devastating blaze
Residents will be the only ones able to re-enter Jasper, Alberta, Parks Canada announced on Wednesday.
Officials had previously said that they were unable to prevent non-residents from going to the town. Those comments have now been walked back.
“Re-entry on August 15 is for residents only,” Parks Canada posted on Wednesday.
Parks Canada officials noted the danger of dead trees in Jasper to cause devastating wildfires.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) August 2, 2024
In Feb 2020. https://t.co/7f7nX9ad1m pic.twitter.com/R8q0afxTgY
“Resident security concerns have been heard. Your safe return is our priority. We are in this together," they wrote, according to CTV News.
The post says residents will be able to show their resident parking pass which were issued by Parks Canada or self-declare at park gates in order to enter. Residents will be given a re-entry guide.
“RCMP will be stationed at the east entrance ensuring everyone entering has a resident re-entry guide,” Parks Canada said. “The only entrance to town will be the east entrance.”
Those without a resident re-entry guide will be directed to drive through the park without stopping through Highway 16.
While the Justin Trudeau Liberals continue to make wildfires a political issue that they claim can be solved by taxes, it has come to light that this particular tragedy was preventable.
The ministry of the environment said in 2022 that Jasper Park was not cleared out acres of whitebark pine were killed off by beetles.
Guilbeault says "years of forest management" paid off in Jasper.
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) July 29, 2024
30% of the town burned.
His own ministry's 2022 Jasper Park Mgmt Plan says not enough was done to clear pine beetle fuel load out of the park. Feds were warned in 2017 about potential for a catastrophe… pic.twitter.com/j7IrALmW5d
Pine beetles infested almost half (44%) of Jasper’s whitebark pine forest, but few steps were taken to reduce Jasper's wildfire risk, records show.
Parks managers two years ago wrote they would follow up “targeted burns” with tree planting to replace dead pine, reported Blacklock’s Reporter. “It is likely 520,000 seedlings may be required,” said the Implementation Report. Yet only 18,000 seedlings were planted, with no explanation as to why.
Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault would take no responsibility for the tragedy.
COMMENTS
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