Establishment of a Central Kootenay Collaborative Regional Wildfire Risk Reduction Planning Group

Effective wildfire risk reduction near communities requires good planning and coordination between many stakeholders, which includes the Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (including the Districts and BC Wildfire Service staff), local governments, First Nations, forest industry and various public interest groups. This collaborative planning project focused on bringing these parties together to identify priority areas for wildfire risk reduction treatments and to determine who should lead and implement the works required. Some of the areas set as a priority for treatments were in the wildland urban interface as identified in Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) throughout the Regional District Central Kootenay, or were in overlapping areas identified for harvesting by one of the local forest licensees. Priority areas of interest included areas on Crown land adjacent to and generally up wind of communities where the wildfire threat was high or extreme based on forest fuel type and proximity to residences and other critical infrastructure.