Wildfire prevention plans being initiated

Times Reporter  

 

Earlier in April the Alberta government announced they would be investing in projects to protect communities from wildfires. In the 2014 budget there is $31 million allocated, with a total of $115 million over the next three years, as part of a long-term commitment to address some, if not all, of the 21 recommendations of the Flat Top Complex Wildfire review. Over one third of that money will be directed to FireSmart projects, including tree thinning and removal around communities. 

“Learning from disasters is important and the knowledge we gained from the Slave Lake wildfire is being put into practice. Our government is taking action to protect both our communities and our forests,” said Robin Campbell, minister of environment and sustainable resources development in a press release. 

Other initiatives include enhanced emergency response planning, hiring additional firefighters for a longer duration and public education efforts in forested regions. 

“The FireSmart program delivers significant benefits to Alberta communities at risk. Anything we can do related to wildfire prevention and mitigation is critical,” said Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA) General Manager Todd Nash in a release. 

In 2013-14 FRIAA gave $4.5 million to 19 municipal FireSmart projects on behalf of the province.