Criticizing the latest $25 million available to communities to reduce wildfire risk, B.C. NDP forestry critic Norm Macdonald says the province must find a new method to protect communities from wildfires.
The $25-million program provided by the B.C. Liberals -- which is administered through the Union of B.C. Municipalities -- requires communities to provide a portion of matching funding. The proportion communities must contribute is 50 per cent during the planning stage, up to a maximum of $15,000, decreasing to 10 to 25 per cent at the stage where the on-the-ground work is carried out. The level is 10 per cent for the first $100,000, and 25 per cent between $100,000 and $400,000.
The B.C. Liberals say Macdonald's criticism is misplaced, as it's not unreasonable to ask communities to contribute a small portion to reduce wildfire risk to their communities.
However, Macdonald said there are communities that simply do not have any funding to spare.
"This is just the latest example of how communities are being utterly abandoned by the B.C. Liberals," said Macdonald. "Local governments vulnerable to wildfires are told they have to go out onto Crown land to clean up the dead wood on the forest floor. They're already strapped for cash."
McDonald said the bigger issue is that the program is simply not doing enough to address the risks, noting that only a small percentage of land has been treated that was identified in a 2004 report by former Manitoba Premier Gary Filmon following the severe Kelowna fires.
While traditionally the fire hot zone has been located in the Southern Interior, in 2010 it moved farther north, fueled by extremely dry conditions in the vast beetle-killed pine forests in this region.
McDonald said the province should get away from a one-size-fits-all program, opening up treatment to different methods. He's a proponent, for example, of allowing communities to have some control over its perimeter forest, or using a community forest model. The community forest model is one that has been used in Prince George with some success.
McDonald also believes that the province should take a stronger leadership role in identified critical areas for wildfire risk reduction.
More effort also needs to take into take into account often-remote First Nation communities which also face wildfire risk threats, he said.
