Fuel reduction

The Resort Municipality of Whistler has been conducting fuel thinning projects on Crown and municipal lands since 2004 to reduce the risk of wildfire to our community. The primary goal of fuel thinning is to reduce forest fuel loads within the wildland-urban interface to reduce the ability of fire to spread from the forest into the community and vice versa, and to make wildfires easier to fight. Fuel thinning will be discontinued when the fire hazard goes to high or extreme and will resume when the fire hazard is lower.

Sometimes projects need to burn some of the wood debris. There is no need to report smoke from fuel thinning projects.

The RMOW Wildfire Program 2019-2027 was prepared in summer 2019 to identify priority areas for fuel thinning treatment in the Wildland Urban Interface near neighbourhoods.

Fuel thinning process and goals

Fuel thinning focuses on leaving mature and deciduous trees, while removing ground brush and debris, pruning lower branches, and removing tight second growth trees. This is accomplished by:

Reducing the number of trees in the stand;
Focusing on removal of small diameter trees and retaining fire-resistant species such as Douglas-fir and deciduous trees;
Reduce fine woody surface debris, while retaining larger coarse woody debris for habitat and soil productivity;
Pruning trees to reduce ladder fuels between the ground and the forest crown; and
Removing dangerous trees to protect workers, while maintaining high value wildlife trees where possible.

In addition to reducing forest fuel loads, secondary objectives of fuel thinning projects are to protect critical infrastructure and facilities in Whistler, restore open forest conditions and demonstrate the principles and practices of the FireSmart program.

Fuel breaks

The RMOW completed a study in 2012 to identify where landscape level fuel breaks should be created along forest service roads around Whistler. The focus is on reducing tree densities in tight second growth, rather than removing old growth trees although sometimes that is necessary. Thinning stands within 100 - 200 m of each side of the road reduces the fuel available to feed fire growth and creates safer, defensible areas for firefighting crews to work in.

Project updates

Wildfire program work completed in the following areas in 2019:

Kadenwood Road - work was completed on the 24 hectare site in October 2019.
Cheakamus Lake Road - Phase 1 (C03) - work was completed on approximately 34 hectares.
Spruce Grove/White Gold - eight of sixteen hectares were completed along the western edge of Lost Lake Park from the Scandinave Spa to the Spruce Grove ball diamonds.
In addition, the RMOW Wildfire Program 2019-2027 plan identifying the next set of priority areas to treat was completed by B.A. Blackwell & Associates for forests near developed areas

Cheakamus Lake Road fuel treatment

Project overview

In 2018 The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) and the Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF) began to thin a total of 113 ha along either side of Cheakamus Lake Road. To allow for efficient and safe working conditions it is necessary to close the road to all public traffic including access by skiers from the south side of Whistler Mountain. Please obey all signs and workers.

In addition the RMOW and CCF are working with WORCA to ensure trails in the area are taken into consideration, and with BC Parks to reduce disruption to the Cheakamus Lake Trail parking lot.

Work is underway at the far end of the road out to the Cheakamus Lake trail parking lot until spring 2020.

Current status

The RMOW and Cheakamus Community Forest are working together on the project.
35 ha in the central portion of the road were thinned in winter 2018/19.
Fuel thinning along the rest of the road resumed December 10, 2019 until spring 2020.
Find details on the Cheakamus Lake Fuel Treatment Map.

Spruce Grove/White Gold Fuel Thinning Project

The RMOW is continuing wildfire fuel management in the Wildland Urban Interace (WUI) areas. Fuel thinning work above the Spruce Grove and White Gold neighborhoods along the western boundary of Lost Lake Park resumed April 30 and was completed July 25. This critical work to reduce impacts of wildfire on the community began in this area in fall 2019. Spring is the best time to complete this important work, while the forest fire danger rating remains low. Wildfire crews treated 13.5 hectares in this area in 2020. this spring and summer.

Update: July 27, 2020
Thank you to the community for your patience with and respect for trail closures while fuel thinning work was completed in Lost Lake Park. Effective July 25, the following trails have reopened in Lost Lake Park:

Tin Pants
Gypsy Drum
White Gold Traverse
Centennial Trail between PassivHaus and Spruce Grove
Peaches En Regalia

View the Spruce Grove Wildfire Fuel Management map

Rainbow Neighbourhood Fuel Thinning Project - ON HOLD

This project within the Cheakamus Community Forest is on hold until the necessary external funding is secured.

Rainbow neighborhood fuel thinning map

The RMOW is partnering with the Cheakamus Community Forest to do the work, and is coordinating with WORCA regarding the trails in the area.

View the Rainbow Neighbourhood fuel thinning referral package.

Funding

The RMOW received funding for several fuel thinning projects from the Union of BC Municipalities Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative to supplement the municipality’s budget to carry out the work. The RMOW is also partnering with the Cheakamus Community Forest on projects within its tenure area and substantial funding is provided by the Forest Enhancement Society of BC.

Fire Danger Rating