I know there's a lot of info regarding trail closures and fire bans this weekend; below is the response from SRD for the Southern Rockies Area. In a nut shell...there's no trail closures, and absolutely no fires.
"...No Restrictions being imposed for activities in the Southern Rockies area with respect to random camping or motorized vehicle use however there a Fire Ban in effect and we do not expect it will be lifted before or during the weekend. The following are some key points staff will be using this weekend to help educate and enforce as deemed appropriate.
May long weekend and fire bans
ISSUE: The Alberta government has imposed a province-wide fire ban. Meanwhile, areas of the province are extremely wet due to heavy snowpack this year.
KEY POINTS:
· High winds have heightened the wildfire risk and in some areas, that risk is extreme.
· The fire ban is in place until further notice.
· Provincial firefighting resources are fully utilized right now.
· Through our mutual aid resources sharing agreement with other firefighting agencies across Canada, we’ve requested resources to assist with Alberta’s wildfire suppression efforts.
· Section 21(1) of the Forest and Prairie Protection Act gives the Minister the authority to prohibit fires in any part or all of Alberta.
· Urban municipalities and federal land (including national parks) outside of forest protection areas are exempt from the provincial fire ban.
· This is serious. People can face a fine up to $5,000 for lighting a fire during a fire ban, and may be liable for all firefighting costs and damage.
· Gas or propane stoves designed for cooking are allowed.
· It is very dry in many parts of the province, so we are asking Albertans to cooperate with the bans, and be careful with cigarettes, and when using off-highway vehicles.
· All OHVs in Alberta are required to have a functional muffler and spark arresters.
· We urge OHV users to ensure they remove burnable debris from hot spots on their machine to reduce the risk of more wildfires.
WET CONDITIONS AND FIRE BAN KEY POINTS:
· Some areas of the province are still very wet or snowy due to the heavy snowpack this year. Some areas may also be receiving rain this weekend. The fire ban will still be in effect.
· While the ground may be wet the fine fuels (grass, leaves, twigs) can easily start a fire.
· Our provincial firefighting resources are fully utilized right now, as crews battle the wildfires in central and northern Alberta.
· We can’t afford to add to the risk of more wildfires at this time. The ban will be in place until further notice.
· Government is taking this very seriously and we ask the public take this seriously.
WET CONDITIONS AND OHV KEY POINTS:
· As is always the case, we urge OHV users to avoid wet areas completely.
· Many people think it's fun to drive their OHVs through the mud and water but this can cause significant damage to the land and fisheries and also impacts water quality.
GENERAL LONG WEEKEND KEY POINTS:
· We want people to go out and safely enjoy the May long weekend. But we ask that they respect the land, respect the fire ban and respect each other.
· Law enforcement agencies will be patrolling our roadways, water bodies, parks and public land.
· Most Albertans are responsible users of public land. Those that participate in destructive behaviour are the minority.
..."
Topic: Maylong Weekend-Sat (Read 5325 times)