On July 27, Jasper National Park’s Vegetation Restoration Team received a helping hand from 10 Alberta Junior Forest Rangers (JFR) to rehabilitate a local trail on Whistlers Bench, an important wildlife corridor.
The two crews spent the day on a number of activities, including transplanting trees, clearing and re-seeding entrances to the trail, as well as removing structures built on the trail. In just one day, the combined team rehabilitated approximately 700 metres of trail.
This work is a direct result of Parks Canada’s Jasper Trails Project. From 2006-09, the Jasper Trails Project, in partnership with the Jasper Trail Alliance, asked trail users to provide feedback on what their ideal trail network design would look like. It also asked users to consider areas to set aside for wildlife. This feedback was combined with ecological considerations regarding key wildlife corridors and sensitive habitats.
The result was the Three Valley Confluence (TVC) Trail Plan. This plan set the direction for future trail work in the valley.
The plan focused on concentrating human use in areas of lesser ecological value and improving habitat security for wildlife. In order to do this, some unofficial trails in important wildlife corridors on the lower slopes of Pyramid and Signal Mountains, as well as Roche Bonhomme, were rehabilitated and the areas closed.
Work on the TVC Trail Plan has led to a number of improvements to Jasper National Park’s recreational facilities including an 18-km easy trail system that connects trail users to popular day-use areas and campgrounds. Other improvements include numerous trail upgrades, the adoption of over 40 kms of unofficial trails, new trailhead kiosks and information panels, as well as updated trail guides. The next step in the implementation of the TVC Trail Plan is to complete similar work on the lower slopes of Whistlers Mountain.
The Alberta Junior Forest Rangers have collaborated with Jasper National Park many times in the past, helping to build protective barriers for vegetation and manually thinning the forest to ensure the safety of the community.
Since 1965, rangers have offered Albertan youth the opportunity to get started in a career related to natural resource management and forestry in a unique, challenging and exciting way.
Parks Canada
Special to the Fitzhugh
