Foresters Who Warned of Jasper Fire Risk Say Other Fires Must Be Prevented

For the past several years, Jasper has been surrounded by thousands of hectares of dead pine trees, prime fuel for fire. Foresters Ken Hodges and Emile Begin began raising the alarm in 2017 after the pine beetle, which is native to Canada, killed off swaths of forest in Jasper. The beetle has left dead, red-hued forests across much of the region, which includes Jasper National Park. The two had suggested widespread controlled burning and logging to clear out the dead wood, they told The Epoch Times. Local and federal officials described their years-long efforts to manage wildfire risk in Jasper during a July 29 update on the situation in the national park....