Whereas safe accessegress are vital to human safety during the ever-increasing wildfire events British Columbians are experiencing; And whereas transportation corridors have been left with dry, combustible brush after clearing the side of roadways, increasing the risk of wildfires: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM lobby the Provincial Government to establish a multi-agency approach to fire-smarting transportation corridors in the Province in partnership with BC Hydro, Fortis BC, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Government is committed to taking steps to minimize the risk of devastating wildfires. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure awarded new Road and Bridge Maintenance Contracts around the province in 2019. These new contracts include the requirement for contractors to mow roadside vegetation to minimize the amount of combustible fuel at the edge of the road surface. The Ministry maintains over 46,000km of roads and uses available funding to undertake brush removal and mulching at high priority areas around the province on an annual basis. Should other agencies or local governments wish to pursue additional fuel management on highway rights of way, staff are available and willing to work with proponents to identify candidate areas and to issue the appropriate permitting to ensure this work is undertaken in a safe manner.