Communities accross the Cariboo received nearly $500,000 in funding to help reduce the risks of wildfires.
Community resiliency investment (CRI) grants were awarded to the Canim Lake Band, ?Esdilagh First Nation, Lhtako Dené Nation, Nazko First Nation, City of Quesnel and District of Wells.
Erin Robinson manages Quesnel’s forestry inititives program and credited CRI with helping the city’s forestry program succeed.
“It’s through important collaborations like these that local and provincial governments can share the workload on community protection of public lands while assisting private landowners through education and incentives,” she said in a news release.
READ MORE: Nazko First Nation says wildfire contained by water bombers, crews will monitor overnight
The money will go towards education, inter-agency co-operation, fuel management, emergency planning, FireSmart and cross-training.
Don Dixon is the natural resources manager for the Canim Lake Band.
“The work reduces wildfire risk and includes spacing, pruning and lowering the tonnes per hectare of fuel loading through manual piling and burning,” he said. “The result is best described as a shaded fuel break. In addition, the work is undertaken by contractors based out of this community and is an important source of employment.”
Provincial, federal and local governments share responsibility to mitigate wildfire risks. Over $15 million in FireSmart community funding has been given to 118 projects in B.C.
READ MORE: City of Quesnel hopes to FireSmart private properties in 2021
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