The Jasper townsite has always been a charming touristy mountain town. However it, like Jasper National Park, has been devastated by the Pine Bark Beetle which has been killing all of the pine trees. Those thousands of dead pine are creating a dangerous forest fire hazard and so they are being logged and removed. Since the forest cover of the town is mostly pine, once they are removed, the spindly results are not very attractive. The photo above shows the piles of felled trees stacked up ready to be driven away to sawmills.
Not only are the trees being removed inside the town site, but also large forested areas around the town are being logged to prevent forest fires. ( I wonder whether these logged areas, which could grow back into dry weedy fields, will be that much safer.) Anyway, it is happening and there’s not much one can do about it but accept it.
While I am on the subject of devastation; Jasper used to generate its own power from a generator. Now a 50 km long strip has been logged through the park for a transmission line that will bring coal-generated electricity to the town. This seems to me like a real giant step backwards to now start using electricity from coal burning.
The whole time we were in Jasper National Park there was a smoky haze in the sky from all the burning of logging slash. Below is a photo which shows the slash smoke emanating from the valley in which Jasper sits.
It truly breaks my heart to see what is happening to Jasper.
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You know new little trees will pop up from the ground to make the park new and beautiful again.
ReplyDeleteI am sure it is better than seeing the hills of dead trees burning to the ground and filling the air totally with unbreathable smokey air. The trees aren't going to waste they are being used. The best use of them now that they are dead.
We talked to a forest service person here were the ash borer is killing all the ash trees. She said where they first started, in the North, they see new patches of small ash trees coming back to renew the forest. Yes mourn the loss, but be joyful at the renewal that can take over once again.
Mother Earth can take care of herself and has for many millions of years.