WHEREAS the majority of communities within the Province of British Columbia are situated in proximity to rivers, streams and water bodies, many within floodplains and upon estuaries; AND WHEREAS gravel aggregation is well documented; AND WHEREAS there have been no funds available to these communities, since 2013, to maintain flood prevention measures, the consequences of which could result in increasing risk of future flooding causing significant property damage: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request that the provincial government reestablish the Flood Protection Program.
Emergency Management BC The Province recognizes the value of flood mitigation and has partnered with the Federal Government since 2008 to provide funding to local governments. While the current Flood Protection Program is completing in March 31, 2016, the Province has been in consultation with the Federal Government to develop a replacement program that will encompass hazard mitigation, including flooding. In addition, Public Safety Canadas new National Disaster Mitigation Program NDMP was launched in 2015. This program is merit based and the Province is actively pursuing opportunities to access this funding for non-structural works such as risk assessments and flood plain mapping. The Province is also evaluating options for local governments to access NDMP funding. Flood protection is a shared responsibility and its success is dependent upon support from all levels of government. Local governments are required to assume the ownership and maintenance of permanent mitigation works undertaken. This ownership ensures that works are not abandoned, thus creating a future hazard. The effectiveness of temporary mitigation works, such as sediment removal, needs to be balanced with potential adverse impacts to the environment and should only be undertaken in the absence of any other mitigation option.