The Prince George Fire Centre, which includes 12 local government and First Nations, is getting a $1.7 million in grants to support wildfire-risk-reduction initiatives to help keep communities safe as wildfire season approaches.
These Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) grants are part of more than $13 million provided to 107 recipients throughout B.C. following the latest application intake in the program's FireSmart Community Funding and Supports category.
"Last year's devastating fire season highlighted the importance of implementing FireSmart activities around B.C. communities and, as we saw in Logan Lake, it can make a big difference," said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Forests.
"In Budget 2022, our government committed $90 million in community grants to complete FireSmart initiatives and fuel-management activities that will help safeguard homes and communities from wildfire threats."
The FireSmart Community Funding and Supports category of the CRI program helps fund FireSmart-related initiatives, including priority fuel-management projects on provincial Crown land and private land.
First Nations and local governments can use the money to complete wildfire risk-reduction and prevention activities, including those on public, reserve and private land.
"The wildfire season last year in B.C. showed us just how important it is to give our communities the tools and support they need to be prepared," said Jennifer Rice, Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness and MLA for North Coast.
"This funding will help ensure more communities are kept safe by supporting new wildfire risk-reduction initiatives."
The Union of BC Municipalities administers the FireSmart Community Funding and Supports program. It processes grant applications in partnership with the Ministry of Forests and the First Nations' Emergency Services Society of British Columbia.
Eligible applicants facing lower wildfire risk can apply for as much as $50,000, while applicants facing demonstrated higher wildfire risk can apply for as much as $150,000.
Communities can apply for funding to cover as much as 100 per cent of the cost of their wildfire-risk-reduction projects.
Mitigating wildfire threats is a shared responsibility of the provincial government, local governments, First Nations, industry, stakeholders and individual British Columbians.
The CRI program helps increase community resiliency by funding activities that promote FireSmart education, planning and opportunities for partnerships through regional FireSmart committees.
The approved applications within the Prince George Fire Centre's jurisdiction are below.
Prince George Fire Centre ($1,766,770 for 12 grants):
- Atlin Community Improvement District: $30,080 to assist with education, cross-training, FireSmart activities for residential areas
- District of Fort St. James: $149,000 to assist with education, development considerations, emergency planning, cross-training, FireSmart activities for critical infrastructure, fuel management
- District of Mackenzie: $150,000 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, FireSmart activities in residential areas, fuel management
- Doig River First Nation: $126,750 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, cross-training, FireSmart activities in residential areas
- Nak'azdli Whut'en First Nation: $148,950 to assist with education, planning, cross-training, fuel management
- Peace River Regional District: $335,300 to assist with education, development considerations, emergency planning, cross-training, interagency co-operation, FireSmart activities in residential areas
- Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako: $231,500 to assist with education, interagency co-operation, cross-training, FireSmart activities for residential areas and critical infrastructure, fuel management
- Regional District of Fraser Fort George: $150,000 to assist with education, interagency co-operation, FireSmart activities for residential areas
- Skin Tyee Band: $14,890 to assist with education, interagency co-operation, FireSmart activities in residential areas
- Tl'azt'en Nation: $130,300 to assist with education, planning, interagency co-operation, cross-training
- Tsay Keh Dene Nation: $150,000 to assist with education, fuel management
- West Moberly First Nations: $150,000 to assist with education, planning, development considerations, interagency co-operation, emergency planning, cross-training, fuel management
