Premier pushes for wildfire mitigation, more access to public lands
A toddler rides in bundled comfort on his father’s back in Kananaskis Country. Making sure Albertans and visitors of all ages experience the outdoors is a critical part of his work, says Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Leowen. Alamy stock
By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Originally published on Sep 22, 2025 at 04:39
Less wildfire damage throughout the province and improved access to the great outdoors feature prominently in Danielle Smith’s renewed vision for Alberta.
The premier issued new marching orders last week to Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen, directing him to expand efforts to prevent wildfires and reduce their effects. One bullet point is that the minister seek a wildfire agreement with the federal government.
Loewen told The Macleod Gazette that wildfire fighting and prevention are “incredibly important to Albertans.” So is more access to public lands in a sustainable way.
“Those two things encompass a lot of what’s in the mandate letter, and I think they really resonate well with Albertans,” said Loewen, the member for Central Peace-Notley in the province’s northwest.
He was one of four ministers to receive new mandate letters on Sept. 17. The other affected ministries are jobs, economy, trade and immigration; tourism and sport; and arts, culture and status of women.
The letters come as MLAs prepare to return to the legislature for the fall sitting on Oct. 23.
Loewen is directed to complete a government plan to advance active forestry management techniques, the mandate letter says. The plan should “maintain the health and biodiversity of Alberta’s forests and provide nature-based solutions for carbon sequestration.”
The premier calls on Loewen to work on an agreement with the federal government to improve wildfire mitigation across federal lands.
She wants the agreement to have a “particular focus” on a strategy for prevention management and response at three national parks in Alberta — Jasper and Banff in the Rocky Mountains, and Waterton on the southern border of the province along the eastern slopes.
Two parks surround Alberta municipalities, Loewen noted, which underlines the need for cooperation. “We want to make sure that we do everything we can to protect (the communities), and we have to work with Parks Canada to get the job done,” he said.
Also worth noting: Parks Canada doesn’t have “quite as much wildfire expertise as we do, because we fight a lot more wildfires than they do.”
The letter emphasizes other areas of wildfire mitigation and risk reduction, like “proactive and strategic” forest harvesting and public education. Smith calls for expansion of the FireSmart program, which shares tools and knowledge with communities, and expansion of a program that funds the creation of fireguards.
When the public thinks of wildfire mitigation, prescribed and controlled burns often come to mind. But the job is more varied and complicated than that, Loewen said, particularly because prescribed burns are riskier than they once were.
“When I became minister, I said, OK, we have to do more controlled burns to see if we can reduce the amount of fuel,” Loewen said.
“But then you’re also destroying habitat. And it didn’t take long to realize, especially with the fire seasons we’ve had over the last three years, that the window of opportunity is very small because you don’t want the fire to escape its boundaries.”
Mechanical clearing of trees is more the standard today. Another strategy is hazardous fuel reduction, which removes highly volatile trees like spruce and pine from areas that put communities at risk.
“Every wildfire that’s burned down a community in Alberta has been a Type 5 wildfire — a treetop-to-treetop fire,” said Loewen.
The premier wants Loewen to continue developing trails and adding campsites. He’s been directed to keep working on a plan to perhaps triple the number of provincially built campsites to over 900 by 2033.
Not counting the back country, the government has about 250 campsites today. If targets are hit, the plan would add 300 by 2027.
“We want people to enjoy our parks,” said Loewen. “I kind of joke about this, but I think there are some people out there who just want us to view our parks with binoculars from a distance, and I don’t think that’s what people want.”
Caring about the wilderness usually comes from being in it. “Out of touch, out of mind,” said Loewen.
In a news release, the UCP government characterized the updated mandates as “focused on growing Alberta’s economy, improving trade and creating jobs.”
Ticking that box in Loewen’s letter is a push for value-added forestry projects. Smith wants him to work with Joseph Schow, the minister of jobs, economy, trade and immigration, to develop a proposal for incentives akin to the existing agri-food tax credit.
The more trees that get turned into products in Alberta, the greater the economic benefit derived from logging, Loewen said.
The mandate letter also identifies free enterprise as having a role in making public lands more accessible.
Loewen is directed to “continue the expansion of trails, campsites and other public land use opportunities by Alberta entrepreneurs and other organizations,” his mandate letter says.
The expansion should include improvements to infrastructure and services in Kananaskis, Canmore, Waiparious Creek, Crowsnest Pass and “other high-traffic recreational areas.”