Alberta Parks closes popular skiing area due to grizzly and cubs

A popular backcountry skiing area in Kananaskis has been closed indefinitely due to a grizzly bear and her three cubs roaming in the vicinity and potentially denning for the winter.

Last Wednesday (Nov. 21), the Black Prince area in K-Country was closed after Alberta Parks noticed one of its collared grizzlies, bear 94, was in the area with three cubs, looking to set up a den site.

John Paczkowski, park ecologist for Kananaskis Country, confirmed on Tuesday (Nov. 27) the 11-year-old mother is still moving around and the area will remain closed until further notice. Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.

Prescribed fire projects set to commence in K-Country

Four prescribed fire projects are set to commence in the Kananaskis area over the next few weeks, as long as weather and on-the-ground forest conditions provide the appropriate circumstances.

The four initiatives include the Buller Creek prescribed fire, McLean Creek research prescribed fire, the Boundary Douglas-fir restoration project and the Old Baldy project, according to an update provided by Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD).

“With these prescribed fires what we’re looking for is for it to increase diversity in habitat,” said Geoffrey Driscoll, a wildfire information officer. “When you don’ t have a fire in a landscape and there hasn’t been wildfires for a long time, then you get a forest that’s old.” Read the full story at the Rocky Mountain Outlook.