The City of Delta is receiving just over $77,000 from the province to help safeguard the community against wildfires.
The funding comes via the government’s Community Resiliency Investment grant program, which is providing more than $4.3 million FireSmart Community Funding and Supports grants to 42 local governments and First Nations in the Coastal Fire Centre.
The City of Delta is to receive $77,055 to assist with education, inter-agency co-operation, emergency planning, cross-training and fuel management.
As well, the Tsawwassen First Nation is to receive $25,104 to assist with education, planning and inter-agency co-operation.
The Union of B.C. Municipalities administers the $60-million FireSmart Community Funding and Supports grant program, and processes grant applications in partnership with the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of B.C. and B.C.’s Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.
“As the fire season heats up, B.C. residents are reminded of the hazards posed by wildfire. The funding provided through this program will increase FireSmart activity around the province and will reduce the risk of wildfire to the health and safety of our communities. I appreciate the province’s ongoing support for these activities,” UBCM president Brian Frenkel said in a press release.
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Eligible applicants can apply for funding to cover up to 100 per cent of the cost of their wildfire risk reduction projects — up to $50,000 for communities facing a lower risk of wildfire, and up to $150,000 for those facing a “demonstrated” higher wildfire risk.
Recipients can use the money for wildfire risk reduction and fire prevention activities in nine eligible funding areas: education, vegetation management (reducing accumulations of flammable materials on the landscape), community planning, development considerations (looking at ways local governments can regulate development to incorporate FireSmart principles), inter-agency co-operation, FireSmart training and cross-training, emergency management planning, FireSmart projects for critical infrastructure, and FireSmart activities for residential areas.
In all, 118 recipients across B.C. are to receive over $15 million in FireSmart grants as part of this round of funding.
“Mitigating wildfire threats is crucial to help safeguard people, homes and businesses throughout the province,” Katrine Conroy, minister of forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development, said in a press release. “Since the Community Resiliency Investment program was established in 2018, our government has approved 366 grants to local governments and First Nations totalling over $37 million.”
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