The provincial government appears to be on a mission to fight mountain pine beetle. It has committed $29,000 and $26,000 respectively to the Town of Whitecourt and Woodlands County to control, reduce, and get rid of pine beetles on municipal and private land.
In 2017, the province says more than 92,000 trees across the province were cut and burned to help control the mountain pine beetle outbreak. Whitecourt mayor Maryann Chichak says the town appreciates the government’s support in its efforts.
“For several years, with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s support, our community has conducted local surveys and control work to minimize the effect of an infestation. Whitecourt is heavily invested in the forest industry, and the control of this insect is vital to our economic, environmental, and social health.”
“Keeping our forests healthy is vital to the viability of our communities in Woodlands County,” adds Woodlands County mayor Jim Rennie. “This new grant will help strengthen our local mountain pine beetle program. It will assist in educating our residents and stakeholders in identifying trees infected by the pest.”
$75,000 was announced for similar efforts in Canmore Tuesday. The province has also given a $500,000 grant to a Hinton-based research company that’s doing research on new beetle detection systems, the beetle life cycle, and how beetle-killed areas of the forest are regenerating.