Yukon earmarks $1.55M for First Nations-led wildfire risk reduction
June 15, 2023
By Avert staff
A combined federal and territorial investment of $1.55 million will support 32 locally-driven projects throughout the Yukon this year to reduce wildfire risk.
Indigenous Services Canada’s Emergency Management Assistance Program is providing $700,000 to support the delivery of Yukon First Nations-led FireSmart projects.
The Yukon government is contributing $850,000 towards FireSmart initiatives as part of the Department of Community Services’ Wildland Fire Management branch’s annual budget.
“Through the FireSmart Funding Program, we are bolstering local wildfire prevention and mitigation strategies, and by supporting First Nations governments and community groups with additional funding, we help our partners on the ground do more to protect the places they call home,” Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn said in a news release.
Patty Hajdu federal minister of Indigenous Services, said in the release wildfires pose a unique risk in remote and northern Indigenous communities where there are fewer emergency services. “There is no priority greater than the health and safety of Indigenous Peoples. First Nations peoples and communities are the first to be affected by climate change,” Hajdu said.
The FireSmart program involves training First Nations teams in wildfire suppression as well as fuel management and vegetation clearing to reduce the intensity and spread of wildfires.
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