The B.C. government has allocated another $1,413,349 in Community Resiliency Investment program grants to eight local governments and First Nations communities in the Southeast Fire Centre to help support wildfire risk reduction projects.

These grants are part of a second round of 44 grants distributed provincewide from the program’s first application intake. They are in addition to the more than $6 million in funding provided to 85 municipalities, regional districts and First Nations throughout British Columbia in May 2019.

The total number of Community Resiliency Investment program grants allocated provincewide to date is 129, amounting to more than $9.8 million. (See the list of new grant recipients distributed within the Southeast Fire Centre in the attached backgrounder.)

“The last two summers have shown the need for better preparation in advance of wildfire seasons,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “To help keep people and communities as safe as possible, it’s more important than ever that we invest in programs that reduce the risk.”

The B.C. government has committed $60 million to the Community Resiliency Investment program to help local governments and First Nations reduce the risk of wildfire through the promotion and use of FireSmart principles. The program, launched in September 2018, replaces the Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative.

Mitigating wildfire threats is a shared responsibility of the provincial government, local governments, First Nations, industry, stakeholders and individual British Columbians. The Community Resiliency Investment program helps increase community resiliency by funding activities that promote FireSmart education, planning and opportunities for partnerships through regional FireSmart committees. A key component of the program is that it lets communities apply for funding to cover up to 100% of a wildfire risk reduction project.

The Union of B.C. Municipalities administers this program and processes grant applications. Eligible applicants facing a lower wildfire risk can apply for up to $25,000, while applicants facing a demonstrated higher wildfire risk can now apply for up to $150,000.

The application deadline for the next intake is Oct. 18, 2019. Program materials and more information about how to apply for one of these grants is available on the Union of B.C. Municipalities website at: www.ubcm.ca/cri 

Quotes:

Katrine Conroy, MLA for Kootenay West​ –

“It's tremendously encouraging to see governments and communities working together to mitigate wildfire risks. Everyone in B.C. understands the need to deal proactively with those threats.”

Michelle Mungall, MLA for Nelson-Creston –

“The use of FireSmart principles is one of the best ways to safeguard our neighbourhoods. These eight additional Community Resiliency Investment grants will help protect more communities within the Southeast Fire Centre.”

Learn More:

Community Resiliency Investment program: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/funding-for-wildfire-prevention/crip

Read about the FireSmart program and the seven FireSmart disciplines at: www.firesmartbc.ca

A backgrounder follows.