Fort Smith (Apr 19/04) - Parts of a two-year-old forest fire abatement plan are about to be implemented in Fort Smith.

Mayor Peter Martselos says the Fort Smith Fire Smart Program should be put into action this spring, "as soon as possible."

Martselos is happy that action is about to happen on the plan, noting Fort Smith is in a high-risk area for forest fires. "The community is surrounded by forests in every direction."

The town has never been hit by a major forest fire, although every year there are numerous blazes in the South Slave region and Northern Alberta.

The program will first look at what the community can do itself to lessen the risk of forest fires. That includes such things as increased space between houses and the forest, and promotion of fire-resistant building material.

Larger efforts outside the town, such as fire breaks, would need to involve the GNWT and the government of Alberta.

Martselos says implementation of the plan was delayed for two years because of a lack of territorial government funding. However, he says that does not mean nothing happened in that time, explaining more information was compiled.

Funds are available from the GNWT to implement the plan, he says. "But we don't know how much."

No resources

The town itself has no resources to put into the program, Martselos says. "We don't have any dollars for fire abatement."

Funding and other details will be worked out by a new committee set up to oversee the program. It consists of Couns. Wes Steed and Earl Olsen, and forest management experts Paul Johnson from the department of Resources, Wildlife and Economic Development and Rick Lanoville of the NWT Fire Centre.

The department of Municipal and Community Affairs will also be invited to name a representative to the committee.

Full implementation of the whole program -- which cost $35,000 to prepare -- would take between five and 10 years.

Martselos says there is no estimate of the overall cost.