The Forest Ministry is funding wildfire mitigation projects for 11 communities in the Kamloops Fire Centre.
That money totals nearly $1.06 million for local governments and First Nations. Included in that, the SimpcwFirst Nation will receive $100,000, the Whispering Pines/ Clinton Indian Band will receive $98,000 and the District of Logan Lake will get nearly $153,000.
Forest Minister Doug Donaldson tells NL News those grants come from a $60-million-dollar pool of funding, set aside for the next three years to pay for wildfire mitigation.
“This is part of our community resiliency investment fund, something that we created after the Abbott-Chapman report, that pointed out not enough had been done to address fuel mitigation with municipalities and First Nation communities,” Donaldson says.
“There’s a good chunk of money there and we want to get it out the door and make sure communities are able to be financially viable in undertaking the work that’s going to protect people and homes during wildfire events.”
Donaldson adds, the mitigation work has the potential to provide jobs for people affected by job cuts in forestry.
Other local governments and First Nations to receive funding include the Little Shuswap Lake Indian Band ($199,927), West Kelowna, the Regional District of North Okanagan and Lower Similkameen Indian Band ($100,000 each), Sicamous ($99,540), Vernon ($58,200), the Regional District Central Okanagan ($30,000) and the Adams Lake Indian Band ($20,820).
