Question Period Note: Parks Canada Wildfire Management

Parks Canada Wildfire Management

• In managing national parks, Parks Canada maintains and restores ecosystems and provides Canadians with opportunities to discover and enjoy these treasured places.
• Parks Canada is the only federal organization that has operational wildfire management roles and capabilities similar to provincial and territorial wildfire agencies. In 2021, Parks Canada sent 181 fire personnel to support provinces and territories in fighting wildfires.
• The Government of Canada is investing in reducing the impact of climate-related disasters, like floods and wildfires, to make communities safer and more resilient. This includes the proposed Budget 2021 investment of $52.5 million of new money over five years to enhance wildfire preparedness in Parks Canada administered places.
• Strengthening wildfire resilience in Parks Canada’s protected areas helps to reduce wildfire risks for adjacent communities, and critical transportation corridors through national parks, while also helping to minimize the risks of wildfire to businesses operating near national parks

• Under the Canada National Parks Act, Parks Canada is responsible for managing wildland fire across 350,195 km2 of federal Crown lands. This includes a number of iconic town sites including Banff, Jasper and Waterton.

• Parks Canada’s fire management program has four objectives: (1) to mitigate wildfire risks, and control and manage wildfires to protect “values at risk”; (2) to maintain the role of fire as a natural ecological process; (3) to maintain readiness to respond to wildfires; and (4) to maintain Parks Canada’s obligations to partner agencies.

• Parks Canada exchanges operational wildfire resources with provinces and territories through the Canadian Interagency Mutual Aid Resource Sharing (MARS) Agreement and border zone agreements, as well as with international partners, coordinated by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC).

• Natural Resources Canada is the federal lead for CIFFC. Together with Parks Canada, both organizations represent the federal government through CIFFC governance as members of the Board of Directors and various management and working committees. CIFFC coordinates the sharing of resources for wildfire response across Canada and internationally. As of 2021, CIFFC’s mandate has expanded to include wildfire prevention and mitigation in addition to preparedness and response.
• Parks Canada collaborates with federal, provincial, territorial, and international governments as well as the academic, non-profit, and private sectors to prepare for and respond to wildfires as well as to better understand, prevent, and manage increasing risks.
BUDGET 2021
• Climate change is driving more intense, faster moving and longer lasting wildfires, increasing risk to the safety and security of Canadians, to economic activity, and to critical infrastructure. To help mitigate these risks, Budget 2021 announced $105.4 million over five years, starting in 2021-22, to the Parks Canada Agency to enhance wildfire preparedness in Canada’s National Parks. This includes existing resources of $10.6 million a year as per the budget announcement, resulting in incremental resources for wildfire of $52.5 million over five years.

• These investments will also enhance Parks Canada’s capacity to support provincial, territorial and international partners with additional capacity, resources and personnel in their times of need.
WILDFIRE STATISTICS AND RISK REDUCTION WORK
• From 2014 to 2020 there was an average of 108 wildfires per year on Parks Canada administered lands and an average of 36 prescribed fires were planned per year.

• Prescribed fire is an important method of reducing wildfire risk to the public, critical infrastructure, property, and economic activity as well as an important tool for restoring ecological integrity, which is key to biodiversity.

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