The County of Grande Prairie is investing 45-thousand dollars in eradicating any traces of Mountain Pine Beetle from Evergreen Park. Part of that funding also goes towards ongoing prevention. Jerry Bauer with the Firesmart Program says there are roughly one hundred to two hundred trees in the park that need to be removed.
“And they will be taken down, cut up, and burnt. Then we’ll put up 2700, maybe 3000 pouches. Those pouches are Verbenone, and basically we’re trying to trick the beetle that those trees have already been attacked by other beetles, and they’ll go someplace else.”
Bauer says they will also continue clearing dead pine trees in the Wapiti Sand Dunes this year, an area where 60-80% of pine trees have been infested, creating a considerable fire hazard.