Work to rehabilitate the fire guards built to contain this summer鈥檚 wildfires south of 亚洲天堂 Lake has already begun, according to the provincial government. However, the actual rehabilitation work won鈥檛 be completed until spring.

To Wistaria resident Gary Blackwell, owner of Wistaria Guiding, that鈥檚 not soon enough.

鈥淚 am worried about the moose season, especially with the open season coming up,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he guards are wide, they go through swamps, creeks and to the lake shores; these guards have created wide open access [to hunters].鈥�

鈥淢oose numbers are low,鈥� he continued. 鈥淲e should be working at ways to help the moose, not leaving more access with the open moose season coming up.鈥�

A survey of the Bulkley Valley/Lakes District conducted in 2012 confirmed that the moose population in the region had declined by 20 per cent since 2004.

In 2016/17 there were 23 population surveys conducted in six regions. In the Bulkley Valley/Lakes District, poor snow conditions did not allow for a full survey as planned, but a composition survey was completed measuring population ratios.

While bull-to-cow ratios were unchanged since 2012 at 35 bulls to 100 cows, calf ratios decreased from 38 calves per 100 cows in 2012 to 21 calves per 100 cows in 2017.

According to the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, the current fire guards do not present a significant threat to wildlife.

鈥淭he ministry recently completed overview flights of the burnt areas and determined that the areas that were opened up with fire guards were in close proximity to exiting access, so risk to wildlife from the new fireguard was unchanged,鈥� said the ministry in a statement last week.

Initial planning and data collection for the rehabilitation of the fire guards are currently underway, and rehabilitation prescriptions will be refined over winter.

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