Osoyoos receives Community Wildfire Resilience Grant

Osoyoos receives Community Wildfire Resilience Grant

For Immediate Release
March 10, 2020
Osoyoos  BC

The Province is providing almost $9 million to help 89 local governments and First Nations throughout British Columbia prepare so their homes, businesses and communities are better protected against the threat of wildfires.

The Town of Osoyoos is pleased to announce that we received a UBCM Grant of $36,000 for the Wildfire Resiliency Investment program.
 
This grant will be utilized in a number of activities and wildfire plan development:

• Two Fire Smart informational sessions including – General wildfire management, Prescribed burning, Fuel management and FireSmart Information & Fuel Reduction
• Wildfire Community Preparedness day prior to the Wildfire season
• FireSmart days – Events, workshops and wildfire open houses
• Neighbourhood Assessments
• Amendments to Official Community Plan and development of Bylaws for wildfire permit areas
• Development of Landscaping requirements associated with the wildfire development permit area
• Establishment of permit areas for wildfire hazards within municipal boundaries

These initiatives will build resiliency within our communities to better withstand wildfire events.

“Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities are on the front lines of wildfire prevention, and we removed barriers so our Community Resiliency Investment program met their needs,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “We fund up to 100% of local projects and projects that include Crown land because we know wildfires don’t distinguish between municipal, on-reserve and provincial Crown land.”

Ravi Kahlon, Parliamentary Secretary for Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, announced the third round of 89 Community Resiliency Investment grants during a visit to recipients in the Interior. (The recipients and their projects are listed in a backgrounder.)

“The people who call these communities home know all too well the dangers from wildfires,” said Kahlon. “Our government is committed to supporting local governments and First Nations because it’s their on-the-ground efforts and local knowledge that are crucial to protecting the economic, recreational and environmental lifeblood of their communities.”

Karla Kozakevich, Chair, Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen

“Reducing wildfire risks and increasing our community’s resiliency to wildfire impacts are ongoing challenges. This funding will help improve and expand our efforts to protect residents.”

Contact:

Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
Media Relations
250 356-7506

Learn More:

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

Program materials and information about how to apply for Community Resiliency Investment grants are available on the UBCM website: www.ubcm.ca/cri 

Read more about the FireSmart program and the seven FireSmart disciplines: https://firesmartbc.ca/

For a backgrounder listing the Community Wildfire Resiliency grants for February 2020, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Community_Wildfire_Resiliency_Grants_Feb_2020.pdf