Rhonda Millikin, an award-winning ecologist, has sparked a debate in Whistler by questioning the community's current approach to wildfire mitigation. Proposing an alternative strategy that emphasizes rainwater catchments, sprinkler systems, and natural green fuel breaks, Millikin has actively lobbied the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) to reconsider its existing methods for combating wildfires. Her efforts have included presenting research to Whistler's mayor and council and gathering nearly 200 signatures on a petition urging the RMOW to implement a pilot program testing her ideas in two local neighborhoods.
However, Millikin's initiatives have faced significant challenges. Forest Professionals British Columbia (FPBC) has issued her a cease-and-desist letter, alleging that she is engaging in the reserved practice of professional forestry without proper certification. In response, Millikin has sought legal representation to contest these allegations.
Millikin's research, which includes a self-funded, peer-reviewed study from 2021, revealed no significant difference in moisture between treated and untreated understory during the peak summer fire season. The study concluded that all surface fuels were highly flammable during this period. Despite these findings, the FPBC maintains that her proposals are not aligned with current scientific understanding and existing practices aimed at protecting communities from wildfires.
Casey Macaulay of FPBC commented on the situation:
“On principle, we don’t have an issue with people, whether a member of the public or someone from a different profession, researching or holding opinions or even talking about those opinions.” – Casey Macaulay
However, he expressed concerns about advocacy:
“Where it’s an issue is when they start to advocate for a particular practice, and in this case, where that practice is so out of sync with the current science and the current practice of protecting communities from wildfires.” – Casey Macaulay
Millikin's work has garnered support from notable figures in the field. Forest ecologist Lori Daniels has conducted extensive research on wildfire mitigation in Whistler and has voiced her endorsement of Millikin's ideas:
“Rhonda has some fantastic ideas. I think that they complement the kind of work that the community forest and the Resort Municipality of Whistler is doing.” – Lori Daniels
Daniels emphasized the importance of collaboration and open-mindedness in wildfire strategies:
“I’m certainly not the be-all, end-all voice on this, but we need to collaborate, and we need to be open to new ideas and information.” – Lori Daniels
Despite her support for integrating new approaches, Daniels cautioned against outright dismissal of existing methods based on Millikin’s research:
“But I think that choosing one or the other, or indicating that the degree of impact from fuel treatment has such negative and severe consequences that they should not be done, is not supported by her research in the spring and summer of 2021, and I think it needs a more holistic kind of assessment.” – Lori Daniels
The Cheakamus Community Forest board has been instrumental in gathering fire weather data over the past three years to better understand conditions in treated and untreated forest areas. This data aims to inform future wildfire strategies. Daniels expressed interest in seeing Millikin’s pilot study come to fruition:
“I would love to see her pilot study conducted. There's lots of room in the Whistler wildland-urban interface to try alternative ways of doing things, but she'll have to do what I have done and what others have done, which is apply for the grants … in order to do the work she's proposing.” – Lori Daniels
