This Christmas tradition is helping reduce wildfire threat in northern Sask.

An annual tree harvest at a national park in Saskatchewan is underway. And as Allison Bamford reports, it’s helping to prevent wildfires.

The 10^th annual Christmas tree harvest is underway at Prince Albert National Park.

Families can cut down a tree for the holidays while helping lower the threat of wildfires in the area.

The trees are removed from the fuel break that surrounds Waskesiu, a townsite within the national park located about 200 kilometres north of Saskatoon.

A fuel break is an area in the forest where coniferous trees and other flammable vegetation are removed to reduce the risk of wildfires.

“Removing these coniferous trees – these spruce, these pines, these firs – it creates a bit of a greenbelt,” said Parks Canada spokesperson Jacelyn Perret. “In the event of a wildfire, having those trees thinned out would slow the speed on an approaching wildfire and help give time for the community to prepare.”

Prince Albert National Park developed the Waskesiu Community Fuel Break in the early 2000s. The fuel break is about 300 hectares in size.

Every spring, the park removes dead vegetation with a prescribed burn, and hosts the annual tree harvest in late fall to help maintain the fuel break.

“With the amount of young trees that are in the area, we can expect that we can continue to host this event in the future as well,” Perret said.

About 160 trees were removed during last year’s harvest.

Rooted in family tradition

For many families, the Christmas tree harvest has become an annual holiday tradition.

For three years, William Barrett and his wife Katie have made the trip from Saskatoon to find the perfect tree for their home.

“I have a very specific type of tree that I want,” Kate said. “That’s the thing that makes this part hard.”

Volume, shape and size are at the top of Katie’s wish list. She wants enough boughs to hang the tinsel and lights.

“Being able to get it home on our little truck is another thing that’s very important,” she said.

Each year, the couple drives up with their family to spend a weekend at the national park. The Barretts got engaged there, and it’s become an important place for their family.

“It’s just big family time,” William said. “There’s a lot of excitement about selecting something that’s going to fit for your house.”

The Barretts say they enjoy connecting with nature and it’s something they hope their future kids will enjoy, too.

“We have a young girl coming in February. We’re excited to keep the tradition sort of alive,” William said.

Katie calls it “a win-win.” She appreciates making holiday memories while protecting the community.

“You’re kind of killing two birds with one stone helping with wildfire management,” she said.

The couple hopes their small part in the tree harvest will help protect the community they’ve grown to love.