By Angie Rolheiser

Summer grazing pastures in B.C. being destroyed by wildfires

Jul 21, 2021 | 3:04 PM

MELFORT, Sask. — The record number of wildfires in British Columbia are not only destroying trees but summer grazing pastures as well.

General manager of the BC Cattlemen’s Association Kevin Boon said the situation is more serious in central and southern regions of the province.

“From mid-province south in the interior, it has had no moisture basically since early April, perhaps late March,” Boon said.

A cold spring deterred the start of a lot of crops and then the heat event in late May caused more issues.

“When you start getting temperatures up in the mid to high 50’s, it has just literally parched the grass that was there,” Boon said. “We are in an extremely drought ridden position where hay production is way down.”

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The wildfire season started earlier than usual this year, contributing to the severe conditions.

“Typically, we don’t start seeing fire until the end of July but this year we had them burning at the end of June,” Boon said. “To date we have burnt 275,000 hectares, well over a half a million acres of land.”

Most of the burning has occurred in prime grasslands.

“Not only are we down in what our winter supply is but we are now eating up our summer and winter supply with fire, which will have no recovery,” Boon said.

There are over 300 wildfires that are burning and 1100 fires to date.

It is still too early to predict how much there will be for shortages, but Boon said they do know that it will be severe.

Farmers are looking at opportunities for supplementing from the lower mainland.

The provincial government has announced that there will be recovery assistance for fire in some form, but the biggest concern is going to be saving herds.

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angie.rolheiser@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @Angie_Rolheiser