By The Canadian Press

Removal of trees to help reduce wildfire hazard in Jasper National Park

Oct 24, 2018 | 1:24 PM

Crews are busy cutting down thousands of trees around Jasper to help protect the community from wildfires and to stop the spread of the mountain pine beetle.

Above the Jasper townsite, 350 hectares of trees are being cut.

Thousands of pine beetle-infested Lodgepole pine trees and mature spruce trees are being removed to make a firebreak from Patricia Lake to Highway 16.

Parks Canada acknowledges a large number of hiking trails in the Pyramid Bench area will be affected by the plan.