Banff gets ready for bison return by preparing land with controlled burns

If you've seen smoke billowing overBanff National Park recently don't be alarmed.

There are four controlled burns happening in thebackcountry right nowtomake spacefor somenewresidents. Aherd of 30 to 50 youngbison will be reintroduced to the park in 2017.

"They're doing the burns to just bring the grasslands back to normal. To refresh the habitat, but also to expand the meadows and prevent the encroachment of the treeskeys," saidMarie-Eve Marchand,co-ordinator of the Bison Belong campaign in Banff National Park.

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Marchand says there is evidence that Alberta's indigenous groups hunted bison by attracting them to parcels of land they had set fire to.

"And that's what's Parks Canada is doing with controlled burns, to just refresh the Prairie."

She says there will be more prescribed burns inBanff National Park inthe spring and fall of 2016.

Fences going in

Parks Canada has also started testing outsidepermeable fencing thatwould allow bison and other wildlife to move in and out of the protected area.

"The idea is that it will discourage them from doing so, and the fences will keep the bison in the area that is best for them. Basically, we're trying to teach them the best places to survive in the park," said Marchand.

Thebison will bereleased deep in the backcountry,far away from roads,rail tracks, roads and tourists. But Marchand says visitors will eventually spot them.

"We all agree that we want to see them," said Marchand. "[But] The beautiful thing is within five years, the habitat will be open all the way to the north side of Lake Minnewanka loop."