Okanagan Indian Band a Major Participant in BC Wildfire Salvage Agreement

According to Member of the BC Legislative Assembly (MLA) Harwinder Sandhu, funding for a forestry project near Vernon is a positive step towards reducing wildfire risk, Parksville Qualicum Beach News reported (3-11-24).

“This innovative project led by the Okanagan Indian Band (OKIB) not only helped salvage a wildfire-affected area for safe replanting of trees but also reduced the carbon footprint of the cleanup,” said Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Lumby. “We know that in the summer, the Okanagan gets hot, and it gets dry, so whether it’s reducing wildfire risk ahead of time or reducing risk as we rebuild, projects like this are significant here to ensure the safety of people and our communities.”

The OKIB received $89,795 for a fiber recovery project that supported the removal of burned fiber from the first approved Wildfire Salvage Opportunity Agreement in BC.

The project is one of 14 from the provincial government in the Thompson-Okanagan region, where $6.5 million was invested from the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC). Enderby also has a fiber reduction project by the Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakes of the Land) that the FESBC is funding.

Since 2016, $79.6 million has been invested in 201 community wildfire risk-reduction projects through FESBC.