LUMBY – Vernon-Monashee MLA Harwinder Sandhu is welcoming a grant for wildfire protection and mitigation to protect people and critical infrastructure near the Monashee community forest.
“The Monashee Community Forest is an excellent example of community collaboration, and everyone involved is rightly proud of that work,” said MLA Sandhu. “Local knowledge of the forest is an important tool in preventing and mitigating the damage from wildfires, and I’m excited to see that knowledge being put to use by the Splatsin First Nation and Village of Lumby.”
This local project is part of the approximately $5 million announced by the province to 15 holders of Community Forest Agreements around B.C. to fund 44 Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction (CLWRR) projects. The CLWRR funding stream is part of the Community Resiliency Investment program administered by the BC Wildfire Service. It supports wildfire risk reduction treatments on provincial Crown land near communities, around critical infrastructure, and in areas facing a higher wildfire risk.
Community Forest Agreement holders are important partners in managing forested land near communities in the Okanagan. They play a key role in fuel management treatments, advocate for their communities, and provide expertise and local knowledge to successfully implement fuel management projects.
StrongerBC: BC’s Economic Recovery Plan provides employment and economic opportunities to support a wide range of projects throughout the province. The Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development is responsible for economic recovery programs worth more than $100 million. This investment in wildfire risk reduction in community forests is one component of that overall recovery strategy.
