With increasingly dry summers, local governments on the North Shore are trying to get ahead of the ball by cutting back fire risks earlier rather than later.
One of these projects involves creating a fire resilient ecosystem in the southern section of Greenwood Park. According to a statement, the City of North Vancouver is removing hazardous vegetation that could be potential fire fuel, as well as planting native trees and shrubs.
“This project will reduce the risk of wildfires spreading to and from the homes surrounding the park,” reads the notice.
The park section was selected as a priority area due to the closeness of the forest interface with the nearby residential community.
The first phase of the project happened in June, with the removal of invasive plants, branches, brush and other organic debris, the city said.
Phase 2 involves:
- removing the lower branches of trees to reduce “ladder fuels” that allow fires to climb,
- removing small conifers and hazard trees,
- removing organic matter on the forest floor; and
- planting a mixture of native trees and shrubs.
The city said it expects work on the second phase of the project to begin at the end of October and take around a month to finish. The statement advises there will be trail closures, and possible noise weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
“This project will improve public safety by removing hazard trees and reducing wildfire risk,” the city said, adding that he work won’t impact recreation or existing infrastructure, and will complement recent upgrades made as part of the Greenwood Park restoration project.
“This project is designed to be sensitive to our urban forest and stream-side ecosystems. The timing of this work has been selected to limit disturbances to wildlife including nesting season,” the statement reads. The work is being funded through a grant via FireSmart BC.
“By removing invasive plants and replanting this site with native plants we are improving forest health and promoting urban biodiversity.”
Tucked underneath the Upper Levels Highway north of Grand Boulevard, the 6.2-hectare urban forest park is home to a network of formal and informal trails used by walkers, runners and mountain bikers.
Wildfire risk management is part of the City of North Vancouver’s broader wildfire prevention work, identified in the community wildfire plan.
For a full list of parks projects, visit the city’s website.
