Special event and spring safety reminders for Albertans
March 30, 2007
Edmonton...With spring here, there are a number of outdoor safety reminders for Albertans. We also mark National Wildlife Week in April. Here is more information, story materials and contact information.
April 1 marks start of wildfire season -- fire permits required in Forest Protection Area
Whether visiting Alberta's forests or living around forested areas, Albertans are reminded to take extra care while handling fire. Dry conditions and strong winds can lead to fast-burning grassfires this time of year.
Beginning April 1, permits are required when conducting any burning activity (excluding lighting a campfire) within the Forest Protection Area (western and northern Alberta). Permits are free and available at any Alberta Sustainable Resource Development office. Albertans outside the Forest Protection Area can contact their municipal district/county for information. Last year, there were almost 2,000 wildfires in the Forest Protection Area that burned more than 118,000 hectares of land, an area roughly twice the size of Edmonton.
Also a risk is 'holdover' fires, those not completely extinguished last fall or over the winter months. They can smoulder, reignite, and pose a particularly dangerous risk early in the fire season. Anyone who conducted a burn in the fall or winter is asked to return to the site and ensure the fire is completely out.
For more information about wildfires in Alberta or to find a Sustainable Resource Development office near you, visit www.srd.gov.ab.ca. To report a wildfire, call 310-FIRE.
Visit beautiful northern Alberta during National Wildlife Week, starting April 8
The theme of this year's National Wildlife Week, which starts April 8, is Canada's North - ours to protect, the world's to cherish. The beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife along the slopes of the Rockies is well-known worldwide, but the less explored northern half of our province is just as rich in wildlife and landscapes offering lakeside sites with wildlife viewing platforms and interpretive trails. Areas such as Lesser Slave Lake and the Peace River district are accessible by car, and wildlife such as bears, moose, deer, gray wolves, Canada lynx and more than 200 species of birds call this area home. For more information on wildlife in northern Alberta, visit www.srd.gov.ab.ca and click on 'fish and wildlife'.
Ice fishermen asked to remove shelters while lake ice is still safe
Submerged ice fishing shelters pose a threat to summer lake users. For that reason, ice fishermen are asked to remove their shelters and properly dispose of waste before lake ice becomes unsafe. Alberta Environment staff are visiting central Alberta lakes after receiving calls about shelters left on Gull Lake and others. If shelters are left behind, fishermen can be charged under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, which prohibits disposal of waste in any water body and allows for fines of up to $250 for this offence.
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Media enquiries may be directed to:
Fire season: Darcy Whiteside, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, (780) 427 8636 or the Wildfire Information Officer at (780) 420 1968
Ice fishing shelters: Kim McLeod, Alberta Environment, (780) 427 6267
National Wildlife Week: Darcy Whiteside, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, (780) 427 8636
To call toll-free within Alberta dial 310 0000.
