The Yukon and federal governments are putting up a combined $1.1 million to plant 400,000 fire-resistant deciduous trees southwest of Whitehorse.

Fire behaviour experts believe this is the most likely direction a wildfire would threaten the city from, so they are trying to create zones where firefighters could safely and effectively make their stand.

The money is coming from a program called 2 Billion Trees that aims to plant trees on public land throughout Canada to reduce fire risk and create more green spaces.

Yukon Wildland Fire Management planted 90,000 aspen seedlings near Whitehorse and Haines Junction this past summer as part of the program.

On Friday, Yukon MP Brendan Hanley, Community Services Minister Richard Mostyn and Yukon Wildland Fire Management Director Lisa Walker gathered in one of the recently planted areas near Mt. Sima to announce the funding.

The areas were already cleared of quick-burning trees such as spruce and pine.

“In fuel breaks around Yukon communities, we are thinning and removing coniferous trees, which burn easily,” Mostyn said in a written statement.

“We can then re-plant the cleared areas with aspen seedlings.”

These leafy green trees better survive fires and can slow their spread.

“Aspen is a fire-resistant species, so planting aspen creates a forest more resistant to wildfire,” Mostyn’s statement reads.

This mimics the natural boreal forests of the Yukon.

The Yukon’s forests have a natural fire regimen, with burning and regrowing being normal. It actually helps prevent large-scale catastrophic fires.

Luc Bibeau, a fire mitigation expert at Yukon Wildland Fire Management, told the Star over the summer that the area between Whitehorse and Carcross have had years of fire suppression, altering this balance.

This has created a more flammable forest right in the area where prevailing winds blow straight toward Whitehorse.

Bibeau contrasted this with the more natural forest to the north and west of Whitehorse toward Dawson City.

“If you look at the boreal forest from the 30,000-foot view, you will see this patchwork mosaic,” Bibeau said. “I think it kinda looks like a quilt often if it’s healthy.”

In August, Mike Fancie, a Yukon government fire information officer, gave the Star a tour of the area southwest of Whitehorse where the aspen trees are now being planted.

At the time, Wildland Fire personnel were intentionally setting fires on the area to reduce flammable “fine fuels” such as sticks and other debris.

The end goal is not to totally stop a fire, but to give firefighters a place to work that is safe and where they can more easily build a fire break should the area be threatened.

“This fuel break is a 395-hectare guardian along the southern edge of Whitehorse,” Mostyn said at the announcement.

“In the event of a fire, these cleared areas would be a vital staging ground from which our crews would fight a wildfire.”

The zone is now being called the Whitehorse South Fuel Break.

Mostyn called this “critical infrastructure” to face a future with climate change causing larger and more severe wildfires.

Hanley focused on the fire resistance and other long-term benefits.

“Not only will these deciduous trees act as a natural defence against wildfires, they will also enhance biodiversity, restore habitat and increase carbon sequestration in our territory,” he said in a written statement accompanying the announcement.

In his remarks at the announcement, Hanley said this is part of “nature-based” solutions to climate change, comparing it to other government initiatives such as the banning of single-use plastics and clean fuel regulations.

The federal government will be providing $750,000 for the initiative, while the Yukon government foots the rest of the bill and oversees implementation and the actual planting of the trees.

Jonathan Wilkinson, the federal minister of Energy and Natural Resources said trees are “essential to our lives — they capture carbon, improve air quality and support wildlife — and they are important allies in our fight against climate change.

“That’s why Canada has committed to planting two billion trees. We are pleased to be working with the Government of Yukon to collaborate by planting around 400,000 trees on public lands.

“This investment will expand forest cover, enhance resilience to wildfires and advance biodiversity restoration.”