The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) will apply to the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) for grants to be used for the preparation of fuel management prescriptions.
The proposed projects include removing pine beetle-killed trees in forested areas at Loon Lake and South Green Lake for wildfire fuel mitigation.
TNRD Area E (Bonaparte Plateau) Director Sally Watson says the applications include one for prescription funding near Loon Lake, and another for operational funding at South Green Lake.
The UBCM and the Ministry of Forests Wildfire Management Branch (WMB) will review the applications during the next few weeks to determine if the funding will be provided, she explains.
“Steve Law, registered professional forester, has been excellent to work with on the South Green Lake project, as has Bev Atkins from WMB.”
The criteria for this has changed, and now stipulates that for fuel mitigation prescriptions, 25 per cent of the funding must be in kind items from both communities and local government.
On average, this equals about $2,500 value for the in-kind items.
“That’s really good for small communities because it is easier to some up with in-kind than it is to come up with $2,500.”
The requirement for fuel mitigation operational funding is for the community to provide 10 per cent in-kind for up to $100,000, and then it ramps up from there, Watson adds.
Noting she has received comments about areas of higher need and more merchantable timber from a South Green Lake resident who works in the forest industry, Watson says the board will be reviewing that also.
“70 Mile House has really been very, very lucky. [West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd.] went in on the west side of 70 Mile and 71 Mile and did a lot of logging, so we have now, actually, a fire break there.
“It does need cleaning up, but there’s a real advantage there that didn’t require any extra funding.”
Watson says she hopes the board will hear back about the funding application by the end of August, and if approved, the work will then go out to tender.
