B.C.'s forestry watchdog has issued findings on the state of wildfire preparedness across the province.
The Forest Practices Board (FPB) said on Tuesday that current plans were a "step in right direction" but much work was still ahead to reach an ideal state of readiness. The good news, said the FPB, was that all forest districts of B.C. have a management plan that covers the basics of wildfire response, but they do not go far enough.
"The plans prepared to date identify values at risk, such as dwellings, infrastructure, wildlife habitat and timber," said board chair Al Gorley, a former Prince George resident. "However, the initial plans are narrow and need to be improved to include local priorities for protecting values as well as areas where fire may be allowed to burn under certain conditions. It will be important to involve First Nations, local governments and the public in setting these priorities."
The report makes seven recommendations aimed at improving fire management planning and response.
The report also recommends that government fully implement its 2010 Wildland Fire Management Strategy, which will move the province toward more proactive fire management.
"Globally, we see a trend toward more severe and costly fires," said Gorley. "Other jurisdictions have found that simply adding more firefighting capacity alone doesn't solve the problem. We need proactive policies and programs that account for the inevitable occurrence of fire in the forest environment."
