A delegation at the May 16 policies and priorities committee meeting raised the question of what to do with the Deer Ridge Environmental Reserve.
Speaking to the committee, Bert Seehawer said he walked through the reserve and was amazed by the tall grass, tree trunks and branches on the ground. As a former volunteer firefighter in Cremona, he suggested all that forest fuel should be removed as a preventive measure.
Located in the southwest part of town, the Deer Ridge reserve is also close to residential development.
Seehawer was joined by Warren Smith, who proposed making the area attractive for people to walk through. He said volunteers should aid town staff to manage the reserve.
The reserve is zoned as an environmental open space district under the town's land use bylaw. The purpose is to either preserve the land in its natural state or save it to develop as a park.
"It's certainly not in its natural state anymore. We put pathways in there and some amenities," said chief administrative officer Norm McInnis. "We'll have an engagement process now and have a discussion with the community on what level of development they'd like to see in that area."
As for the forest fuel, he said there are different opinions on how to manage it.
"We need to do a bit of research in order to give council a more informed report on what is the best practice for fuel management," he said.
"That area is not anywhere like Fort McMurray or Whitecourt, which are right in the middle of forests. This is an 18-acre parcel within town limits surrounded by residential development. It's more like a Nose Hill or a Central Park in New York. It's not a forested area on the periphery of an urban centre."
