Fire Ban Province Wide in Effect

Red90 · April 14, 2020, 01:52 PM

https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID=70088C28614F7-F6F7-53A6-BE98E0D906D6556A&fbclid=IwAR31_3Y7ZXNGwzBXsFgp8PYW6nobLeNNVdmGyxKz4F4JFX48zDU9ccjPX74

QuoteA fire ban in the Forest Protection Area, provincial parks and protected areas, ~~as well as a recreational OHV ban~~ on Crown land in the Forest Protection Area, will come into effect April 15.

edit: OHV ban lifted for the time being.

ugly_90 · April 14, 2020, 02:01 PM

Noted. You can't even drive into the recreation areas around here now, they're barricaded, marked as no access and no parking either. I don't know if you could hike or canoe in an area like Wilmore Wildness, or Kakwa Wilderness near here this spring, both areas may be closed. You might have someone drop you off? Even if you aren't breaking any laws, you might not get timely response from the local Search and Rescue, and lots of frowns and shame if you did call with trouble during a pandemic.

" don't come running to me with a broken leg... "

headdamage · April 14, 2020, 02:02 PM

So is a land rover an OHV or not? Seems to change...

Red90 · April 14, 2020, 02:10 PM

Quote from: headdamage on April 14, 2020, 02:02 PM
So is a land rover an OHV or not? Seems to change...

No, but I doubt that will stop you getting a fine and you would have no luck fighting it in court.

Red90 · April 14, 2020, 02:13 PM

Quote from: ugly_90 on April 14, 2020, 02:01 PM
Noted. You can't even drive into the recreation areas around here now, they're barricaded, marked as no access and no parking either.

Yes, Parks and PRAs were closed to vehicles a couple of weeks ago. However, OHV use was still allowed (where permitted). This new order extents to forestry areas which is a big difference for us.

binch · April 14, 2020, 09:52 PM

hmmmmm I'm wondering weather it would affect us using the Conklin winter road. As long as you are not burning a fire.....I can't see that as being illegal. And you can easily maintain safe space with people. ::)

Trevor · April 15, 2020, 09:24 AM

By letter of the law, our LR's are not OHV's. But I'd agree with John, that probably won't stop you getting ticketed.

Couple options:

1) Bring a propane camp fire. Not a real camp fire, but it gives you something to sit around in the evening, and there are some decent options available.

2) Don't comply, go deep into the bush where they tend not to venture, and go armed for a fight. I like this option...a tad bit more risky mind you ;->

Edit: As an aside, if your MLA is UCP, call or write them and express your concern. If they receive enough push-back, they do note it. Not saying it will change anything. But this entire CCP virus response process is being driven by "experts"...doctors basically (and worse, doctors taking guidance from the WHO). Any public policy being made by a doctor unchecked is a bad thing at the best of times. Balance always needs to be introduced. That is the job of the politicians, and they aren't doing a good job of it insofar as their "close everything", anti-fun police approach. Very reminiscent of the old PC party actually.

ugly_90 · April 15, 2020, 12:10 PM

You guys could just pay $50/ea and all get your prospecting licenses. Form a company, ALRE Minerals Inc, and go looking for medical-grade Uranium isotopes, or hip-replacement medical grade Titanium. All essential mining-medical services now.

If you need any help with Spicer-Hurth mining axles to bolt under your LR's, I know a guy who has a few :)

Matt H · April 15, 2020, 05:10 PM

This is all getting a bit silly now. I mean if the sky keeps falling and gets any lower we are all going to have to learn to duck!

It seems to me that ever since the Y2K fiasco we've been blundering from one (social) media exaggerated chaotic mess to next.

Case in point, nobody is talking about climate change anymore. Now there is something new that will cause Armageddon!
We were told it's an emergency, a crisis even of extinction level consequences that requires immediate and drastic action, depending on who you listen to. But apparently not as important as a nasty flu so we mass manufacture disposable masks and gloves?

I don't have the COVID, but I am sick. Sick of the nonsense and hyperbole.

Rambler · April 15, 2020, 06:00 PM

Quote from: ugly_90 on April 15, 2020, 12:10 PM
You guys could just pay $50/ea and all get your prospecting licenses. Form a company, ALRE Minerals Inc, and go looking for medical-grade Uranium isotopes, or hip-replacement medical grade Titanium. All essential mining-medical services now.

If you need any help with Spicer-Hurth mining axles to bolt under your LR's, I know a guy who has a few :)

I know a geologist if you wanted to have someone official looking on your company directors list ;-)

headdamage · April 15, 2020, 07:54 PM

While I generally agree with the over hype of our media driven world it is hard to say things like mass graves in North America is in anyway normal.

B-Red · April 15, 2020, 09:24 PM

Some clarifications in order here.

Jason Nixon is your go to minister. He is from Rocky Mountain House. He is an outdoor enthusiast and does respond well to questions. You can also catch him on Facebook on regular basis.

The first order to stop going into recreation areas in the back country was from Parks. Going deep in trails with social distancing in the bush was accepted as long as you cleaned your garbage.
Second order came from Agriculture and Forestry: Complete access stop to prevent forest wild fires in April and May. Nothing is allowed to go in.

Camping in privately operated camp grounds is open as long as operators and campers complied with fire ban and other related regulations.

Driving old Conklin road may be a no since it's a trail and we are not industry. Commercial plated, company owned land rovers may go ahead...but ask first.

With Oil plants going into summer maintenance shutdowns, pressure on highways to the north maybe high. Kearl lake camp got three cases today and six are isolated waiting results. I can see the WoodBuffalo region becoming super strict.

So, put up with a backyard camping trip this Summer folks.

Cheers

binch · April 15, 2020, 09:33 PM

I've seen the graves in the settlements up north on the Mackenzie Ice road from the 1918 influenza epidemic. As tire as I am of all the hype.....I don't want be contributing to making it worse. Especially with my asthma and Susan's recent heart deal. We are very well off compared to some. And even better off then those with no health coverage in some places.

But....the area I'm thinking off is on the access road up there and I'm just not sure. Maybe I'll ask with the forest service about the area and get some clarification. Hopefully they'll have some idea.

But here's are the rules as we know it:

https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/8259a745-2f34-427d-86e3-69fea634f20c/resource/5e3dd23c-7aa0-4015-a422-5172397ad976/download/aep-2020-fire-ban-system-approved-activities.pdf

And you don't want to be the one responsible for starting a fire right now. I don't think it would end well with the courts LOL

Conklin winter road is a seasonal road, not a trail. And historically was used by the residence of Conklin for access to LLB.

Trevor · April 16, 2020, 07:48 AM

Quote from: B-Red on April 15, 2020, 09:24 PM
Some clarifications in order here.

So, put up with a backyard camping trip this Summer folks.

Cheers

Heh, yeah, that ain't gonna happen. Not a snowflakes chance in hell.

Fire threats are not high currently. If they start seeing drier conditions, I get the fire ban. But nothing to do with forest conditions is driving the current restriction. It's over reaction to the current bug. More importantly it won't eliminate fires or how they respond. They will still be battling the ones currently burning as well as the new ones that start up. And they will go about it the exact same way as if it were a man made fire. Volume doesn't matter here. Most importantly, volume uptick is driven by a combination of natural starts (lightning) and dry conditions. because when things get risky, we shut access down, and every fire after that is natural...and that is far and away most of the fires.

And they will stop none of those. And they will respond exactly as they are now, "social distancing" or not.

All they have done here is imprisoned people, usurped individual freedoms further, and simply made peoples lives a sh&t-ton more miserable. For 0 gain.

Now, I fully get Bill's point. He has personal reasons driving his decision that make a lot of sense for him and his family. There is a higher degree of risk there, and it is his personal choice to take steps to mitigate that. Personal choice. An important concept that is increasingly fleeting these days.

But me going camping along the east slopes with friends, who have also evaluated their situation and decided accordingly, is in no way a risk. In normal fire conditions we won't be starting a forest fire, period. The flu bug is hardly a menace out in the bush. And every stop along the way is currently controlled by plethora of restrictions.

Government overstepping its bounds is all this is.

Red90 · April 16, 2020, 01:05 PM

Very interesting and scary news... They are including us in the OHV definition. This is from last year, but is a government statement, so I'm sure it relates to how they see it.

http://srd.web.alberta.ca/grande-prairie-area-update/fire-ban-in-effect-grande-prairie-area-update-may302019

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