Whereas climate change is real and causing significant changes in the way local, provincial, and federal governments do business and provide services; And whereas the Province of BC has provided funding for Community Wildfire Protection Plans and Fire Smart programs for local governments; And whereas the continual drying and heating of our forests in British Columbia causes wildfires to ignite much more readily and to travel at higher speeds across the forested areas: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM request the BC Wildfire Service to take action to reduce fuel loading around the perimeter of communities in British Columbia which will work in conjunction with initiatives undertaken in communities to protect themselves from wildfires.
Ministry of Forests Increasing wildfire resilience is a top priority for the Province. Budget 2022 provides more than 350 million over the fiscal plan to combat and recover from wildfires. This includes 145 million to strengthen BCs emergency management and wildfire services, and 98 million for wildfire prevention and maintaining crucial forest service roads used to respond to wildfires. An additional 90 million is for continuation and expansion of the FireSmart Community Funding and Supports category of Community Resiliency Investment program to support homeowners and communities to take action to increase wildfire resiliency. The Province has also committed ongoing funding and resources for the Crown Land Wildfire Risk Reduction program, increasing the annual budget to 40 million to help reduce risk on Crown land and support community and landscape resiliency.