CALGARY -- The federal government is offering more than $68 million in funding to help combat one of the most invasive pests in Canada's forests.
The mountain pine beetle first appeared in B.C. almost 15 years ago and has killed millions of trees throughout that province. The bugs have also invaded Alberta, decimating trees throughout Jasper National Park, and there are traces of the bugs in Saskatchewan as well.
Ottawa has been spending millions on strategies to fight the pest throughout the years and Thursday, the Trudeau government announced more funding for the fight.
"The mountain pine beetle has been hurting our forests, harming our economy, increasing wildlife risk, reducing our ability to enjoy the parks that showcase Canada's stunning natural beauty," said Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan.
"In Alberta alone, the pine beetle is jeopardizing $9 billion of pine timber," he added. "It could reach anywhere that a pine tree grows."
THREE AREAS OVER THREE YEARS
That's why the federal government is spending $68.4 million on a new strategy to fight mountain pine beetle through aerial and ground surveillance and control work ($60 million to the government of Alberta), mitigating pine beetle impact in Canada's national parks ($6.9 million to Parks Canada) and improving pest management ($1.5 million to The Canadian Forest Service).
Through the funding, workers will be able to remove infested trees, reduce the risk of wild fires in the mountain parks and conduct research to learn more about the insect and its possible eastward spread.
"These three actions will help protect forests, protect jobs and protect companies in those Albertan communities that are dependent on these forests."
Alberta's Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Devin Dreeshen says the province's forest sector is "very important" and supplies a number of things Albertans rely on every day.
"Even at the beginning of COVID, everybody heard of the toilet paper and paper towel runs that were happening – people were concerned about essential products made from forest products. That just goes to show that when the chips are down and people really need to focus on themselves and their families, the forestry sector provides those essential products."
He says the federal funding commitment is a confluence of the "heavy-hitters" in the sector.
"Here in the province of Alberta, about 40,000 Albertans rely on the forestry sector for employment. As Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, it's obvious to me that Alberta's forest sector is a major contributor to our economic recovery. That's why this announcement today is so good for the province of Alberta."
The most recent statistics indicate that millions of square kilometres of pine forest have been destroyed by mountain pine beetles over the past decade. Canada's frigid winters have been effective at slowing the spread of the bugs, but they haven't stopped yet.
The funding is scheduled to be spread out over the next three years.
