Wildfire Protection Strategy

Wildfire Protection Projects

The Resort Municipality of Whistler is investing in an accelerated wildfire protection program guided by its Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (CWRP) adopted in 2022.

The RMOW is updating its CWRP in 2026. It will include recent climate change risk assessment and wildfire modelling done for the CCF to better understand priority areas for treatment.

The CCF and RMOW are partnering to carry out the wildfire fuel management programs in high priority areas around Whistler that are within the CCF tenure. In 2017-18, the CCF completed a five kilometre fuel break along the Callaghan FSR, and a 22 hectare site above Alpine Meadows neighbourhood and adjacent to the 21 Mile watershed water intake infrastructure. It then created a 115 hectare fuel break adjacent to the Cheakamus Lake Road. Through 2023 and 2024, it treated 20.7 hectares of high risk forest that had been affected by pine beetle adjacent to the Wedgewoods neighbourhood.

Winter Wildfire Fuel Management project along Cheakamus Lake Road and end result. (Photos: Tom Cole)

Alta Lake Road Fuel Management Project – 2026

The Cheakamus Community Forest (CCF) and RMOW are partnering on two more wildfire fuel management projects in 2026 into 2027. The projects are along the north end of Alta Lake Road from 21 Mile Creek towards Alpine Meadows, and in the 16 Mile Valley above The Adventure Group (TAG) base area. The project areas are identified in the RMOW’s Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan and funded in part by the federal government’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Plan.

Lil’wat Forestry Ventures (LFV) started the Alta Lake Road fuel management project on March 2 and will continue to autumn 2026. Crews will work through the treatment units sequentially so that disruption to public use in minimized.

Update May 27, 2026:

The CCF and RMOW are in close contact with WORCA regarding trail impacts and potential closures. Trail closures will be kept to a minimum and closed trails will be marked by signage. The public must obey all signs and instructions from staff for their own safety. The crews will be cutting trees, running heavy equipment and chipping wood – all dangerous activities that are unsafe for the public to approach. Trails that are disturbed will be restored following the project.

Unit 1 – 4 ha nearing completion. Remaining work includes roadside treatment, along with a small section near the corner of FC5 that still requires chipping and hauling. Operations estimated timeline was until early April, however completion of this unit is pending Roadwork Permit approval, which is currently in progress. Operations remain on hold until permits are in place. There are approximately three crew days of work remaining.

Unit 2a – 1.5 ha also nearing completion. Remaining work is limited to minor fine fuel cleanup and a short stretch of roadside treatment.

Unit 2a – 2 ha currently in Phase 2 (Chip and Haul) and progressing toward Phase 3 (Final Cleanup). While most operations are occurring away from the trails, there are short-duration trail closures periodically required during chip truck hauling and when machinery is moving debris piles adjacent to or across trail sections. Unit 2a operations were planned for late March through June, and LFV is currently on track to complete the unit within the anticipated operations window.

Unit 4 – Falling operations have commenced within this unit. A section is partially spaced and pruned, with approximately 1.3 ha completed to date.

Operations within Unit 4 have been temporarily paused to allow crews to focus on completing Unit 2. All debris piles have been positioned clear of the trail network, and no trail closures are anticipated in the near future. Operations were scheduled for late March through June; however, it is likely that work will extend into July.

Trail Closures

LFV anticipates operations moving into Unit 2b later this week and will require the following trail closures to support falling and cleanup activities:

Barts Dark Trail – Scheduled to close starting May 28 and remain closed for the duration of falling and cleanup operations. Due to limited access within this unit, equipment and machinery will need to operate directly from the trail corridor.
A River Runs Through It – A short section of this trail will be closed once operations progress beyond FC11. This closure will also remain in place for the duration of operations in the area.

16 Mile Road Fuel Management Project

The 16 Mile wildfire fuel management project will begin in autumn 2026 and continue as long as snow levels permit then resume in spring 2027. The CCF and RMOW are also in close contact with The Adventure Group (TAG) to understand their operations logistics and minimize impacts to their business. More details to follow.

CHEAKAMUS COMMUNITY FOREST VISION

The Cheakamus Community Forest is a model of regenerative forestry that mitigates the impacts of climate change, and that the CCF partnership is recognized as a model of reconciliation, supporting the prosperity of the RMOW, Lil’wat and Squamish Nations through a thriving local economy.

CHEAKAMUS COMMUNITY FOREST MISSION

Prioritize the ecological health of local forests while respecting their cultural significance to the Lil’wat and Squamish peoples and generating direct economic benefits for the two First Nations and the citizens of Whistler.

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