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“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Trees Must Fall. A Provincial Park’s Wildfire Prescription (The Tyee)


Dragon Mountain Provincial Park rises in a forested hump above the farmland just south of Quesnel, with a gravel road to its summit and 600 metres of descending mountain bike trails through rocks, chutes and mature forest.

The local builders of the trails did such a good job that Quesnel is now a mountain bike destination, with Dragon Mountain its star attraction.

But where mountain bikers see a playground, wildfire experts see the makings of a disaster waiting to happen: a tangle of dead and dying Douglas firs and lodgepole pines; a forest floor littered with deadfall; west-facing slopes that dry out quickly; steep, uneven terrain; and a nest of communication towers essential to emergency services.

“If there’s a forest fire on Dragon Mountain it would burn the whole thing” ...

CLICK HERE for the full story

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