Province providing grants to reduce wildfire risk in Cariboo Communities

Six local governments and First Nations in the Cariboo Fire Centre are receiving their share of $490,000 in grants from the province for wildfire risk reduction.

Overall, $15-million is being provided to 118 communities and First Nations through the Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) grants.

“Mitigating wildfire threats is crucial to help safeguard people, homes and businesses throughout the province,” says Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “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.”

Recipients of the funding can use the money for wildfire risk reduction and fire prevention activities related to the FireSmart program’s nine eligible funding areas, which include:

• Education
• Vegetation Management
• Community Planning
• Development Considerations
• Inter-agency cooperation
• FireSmart training and cross-training
• Emergency management planning
• FireSmart projects for critical infrastructure
• FireSmart activities for residential areas

The Cariboo’s recipients include:

• Canim Lake Band, $149,950 to assist with education, inter-agency cooperation, fuel management
• ?Esdilagh First Nation, $61,000 to assist with education, inter-agency co-operation, emergence planning
• Lhtako Dene Nation, $47,060 to assist with education, development, FireSmart for residential areas, fuel management
• Nazko First Nation, $64,000 to assist with education, planning, FireSmart for residential areas
• City of Quesnel, $40,500 to assist with education, FireSmart for residential areas
• District of Wells, $127,500 to assist with education, planning, cross-training FireSmart for residential areas.