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Many communities are interested in using the open spaces created by fuel breaks to increase food, medicine and wood harvesting. The reduced canopy cover of a fuel break can increase the growth and pollination of some berry species, and they are usually very accessible to the community. The open space in fuel breaks provides opportunities for agriculture and community gardens to support food security.
The fuel break can also become a trail to improve access to hunting areas, wood harvesting areas, or mushroom and plant harvesting areas further away from the community. The continued use of these spaces helps to maintain the fuel break for fire protection.
Blueberries picked from a fuel break near Fairbanks, Alaska that has become a popular berry picking area. Photo: I. Johnson
Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation fuel break in Northwest Territories is being transformed into a food forest with native plants and berries. Photo: C. Johnston
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