PITT MEADOWS, BC – The City of Pitt Meadows has received $25,000 in funding to update wildfire policies for inclusion into the City’s Official Community Plan. This grant was provided through the Province’s Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) program designed to reduce the risk and impacts of wildfire to communities.
“As the Province moves to a resiliency approach in managing communities’ wildfire responses, this grant is timely and will be used to update FireSmart policies within our Official Community Plan,” says Mayor Bill Dingwall. “It is vital that we stay up-to-date with best practices and work to minimize risks and hazards of wildfires in Pitt Meadows.”
This funding will provide the opportunity to update the City’s Wildfire Protection Plan, in place since 2007.
“Although Pitt Meadows does not typically experience large wildfires, there are a number of forested areas outside of the city centre that pose a risk,” says Barbara Morgan. “This is an important opportunity to update our wildfire hazard assessment and to identify FireSmart priorities which will form an integral part of our wildfire fire response plan moving forward.
The CRI is intended to reduce the risk and impacts of wildfire to communities in British Columbia through community funding, supports and priority fuel management activities on provincial and Crown land. The program was launched in 2018 and more than 120 First Nations and local governments have received funding. Funding is provided by the Province of BC and is administered by the Union of BC Municipalities.
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For more information please contact:
Carolyn Baldridge,
Manager of Communications & Community Engagement
City of Pitt Meadows
cbaldridge@pittmeadows.ca