BANFF – The Town of Banff is hoping to grow its conifer tree replacement program to help properties be less vulnerable to wildfires.
At a recent service review meeting, the governance and finance committee approved $30,000 a year for 2022-24 as part of a program available to residential property owners wanting to reduce wildfire hazards by removing conifer trees and replacing them with free deciduous trees.
“I love that we’re FireSmarting our neighbourhoods and it’s a wonderful program that inspires people to make the changes that are needed,” said Councillor Chip Olver.
“I so appreciate the homeowners who are taking action on this – $30,000 is a very small amount of money compared to a property lost to a wildfire or a neighbourhood lost to a wildlife.”
Recent wildfires in Alberta, including Slave Lake in 2011 and Fort McMurray in 2016, along with increasingly frequent severe wildfire seasons in British Columbia, demonstrate the potentially devastating social, ecological and economic impact of wildfire on communities.
In 2018, council approved a one-time spend of $30,000 to kick-start the tree replacement program.
Silvio Adamo, Banff’s fire chief and director of protective services, said the Town has purchased and delivered approximately 100 trees to date, with another 100 applications currently on a waitlist should the program continue to be funded.
“Our conifer tree replacement program has been very successful to date,” he said. “We have a list of homeowners who are interested to see this program continue.”
Banff’s land use bylaw requires tree-for-tree replacement and deciduous tree species are chosen by the homeowner based on what’s allowed under Banff’s design guidelines.
“This program also allows us to increase our tree species diversity within our urban forest, which is primarily conifer,” said Adamo.
To qualify for the incentive program, homeowners must first complete a free, no obligation FireSmart assessment from Banff’s fire department.
A trained FireSmart evaluator visits the home for approximately 30 minutes and provides recommendations on how to better FireSmart the property, as well as confirm the conifer trees or trees to be removed.
Should the tree qualify, the Town will coordinate and deliver the new deciduous tree and help place it.
Adamo said it is the homeowner’s responsibility to prepare the planting site and help install the tree.
He said advice in placing the tree, including information on planting and care, will be provided.
“Essentially, it’s at no cost other than sweat equity from the homeowner,” said Adamo.
Money to fund the program will come from the environmental reserve.
The governance and finance committee's decision is not final until budget deliberations, which begin later this month and run into January.
