WHEREAS the Mountain Pine Beetle is an ecological and economic disaster for British Columbia and Canada: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of British Columbia Municipalities lobby the provincial and federal government to employ all possible financial and other resources within their means to alleviate both the Mountain and Western Pine Beetles before they spread further to the rest of Canada.
Ministry of Forests Range Minister Responsible for Housing A key objective of the Province of British Columbias Province Mountain Pine Beetle Action Plan is preventing damage to susceptible forests. Last year 2005, the federal government transferred 100 million to the Province, and this spring committed another 200 million to help the Province mitigate impacts of the beetle infestation including spread control activities. British Columbia and Alberta have signed a multi-year agreement to work together and share costs in managing pine beetle populations. 15 million was spent on last years spread control program along the British Columbia-Alberta border, with another 36 million to be spent this fall and winter. 68,000 infested trees were felled and burned in 200506 in the inter-provincial border zone to minimize the beetles eastward spread. British Columbia is sharing with Alberta everything learned and experienced to date in dealing with the mountain pine beetle. The Province updates its Emergency Bark Beetle Management Area annually to enable aggressive action against the beetle in expanded outbreak areas. The western pine beetle does not pose the same kind of threat as the mountain pine beetle. Western pine beetles attack ponderosa pine, an uncommon timber species east of the Rocky Mountains.
NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA With respect to Resolution B41 - Pine Beetle Infestations, the federal government recognizes that the Mountain Pine Beetle MPB infestation in British Columbia is now the largest forest insect epidemic in North Americas history. Canadas New Government committed 200 million in Budget 2006, to ensure a comprehensive and effective federal response to the MPB infestation. This new investment will build on NRCans implementation of the 2002 MPB Initiative, a six-year initiative focussing on mapping out the threat; assisting in measures to limit the beetle spread; and providing answers required to mitigate, where possible, the impacts of the MPB. For more information on this initiative, please visit www.mpb.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca. In addition to the pine beetle related activities mentioned above, the Canadian Forest Service of NRCan delivers an extensive range of research and analysis on forest health, pests, diseases and other forest disturbances. This information is an important source of knowledge for provincial and private forest managers and planners. Most notably, NRCan is leading the development of a National Forest Pest Strategy to further protect our ecosystems and economies.