As part of its ongoing commitment to reduce wildfire threats, the province is providing more than $72,000 in community resiliency investment grants to support projects in the Cowichan Valley.
The Cowichan Valley Regional District will receive $38,240 to assist with education, and fuel and vegetation management, while $34,500 is earmarked for the Municipality of North Cowichan to assist with wildfire planning.
“Wildfires are a fact of life in British Columbia, but our government works closely with communities, First Nations, industry and other stakeholders to reduce wildfire risks,” said Doug Routley, MLA for Nanaimo-North Cowichan.
“These grants will help achieve those goals and provide employment opportunities.”
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This funding is part of more than $6 million in community resiliency investment grants provided to 85 municipalities, regional districts and First Nations throughout the province, following the program’s first application intake.
The community resiliency investment program was established in September 2018 with $50 million to assist local governments and First Nations to lower wildfire risks around their communities. The B.C. government has provided an additional $10 million to the program in its budget for 2019. “Community resiliency investment funding will help Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities increase their resiliency to wildfire threats,” said Doug Donaldson, minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.