CHAT News Today: Medicine Hat, AB May 11, 2018 by Brittney Matejka. HILDA, AB. – Researchers from the University of Alberta met with a room of ranchers affected by the devastating October wild fires near Hilda and Acadia Valley last night. Dr. Cameron Carlyle from the University of Alberta is conducting a $200,000 study funded by the provincial government. He will be looking at the recovery of burnt grasssland over the next five years. “What we are interested in looking at is the recovery of forage,” he said. “To help people figure out when they’ll best be able to put cattle back out on the land and when the land is recovered from the fire.” Carlyle said the main thing they will be looking at is the re-development of the litter layer on the soil. “Litter is is dead plant material that is laying on the soil surface,” he said. “It’s important because it helps to hold water in the soil and increase plant growth.” Farmer Andy Kirshenman attended the meeting and views the study as being positive. To read more about the post-fire recovery workshop in Hilda, AB.