Wildfire Management

For Immediate Release
October 15, 2010

Tk’emlups Indian Band Forestry Corporation receives important certificates

(Kamloops, B.C.) – The Tk’emlups Indian Band Forestry Corporation recently received two important certificates of completion from the First Nations Emergency Services of British Columbia (FNESS) acknowledging their efforts on community enhancement.

The first was a certificate for completing their Community Wildfire Protection Plan with the goal of reducing impacts from interface fires and increasing community safety.
The second was an Operational Treatment Certificate for successfully progressing to the operational treatment phase for forest fuel management to enhance the community and to reduce the risk of life and property as result of an interface wildfire.

“This is very important to the Tk’emlups Forestry Development Corp. (TFDC) and the Tk’emlups Indian Band as a whole because we are protecting our forest and communities by removing forest fuels and reducing the risk of wildfire in urban areas,” said Barry Bennett, registered forestry tech and TFDC assistant manager.

Along with TIB Forestry progressing to the operational treatment phase of forest fuel management, they will receive $274, 459.50 in funding from the First Nations Emergency Services of B.C. The funding will be used for the sole purpose of the Forest Fuel Management project, and to help meet the terms set out by the FNESS.

“This is significant as we will be able to employ five to six band members for four to six months, and we will be able to further enhance previous work we have already done in this area at Gottfriedson Estates,” said Bennett.

The band council is excited to see such great progress in this area. Anything that will serve the community and better protect the TIB land from risks such as wildfire is a positive.
 
Contact: Kelley O’Grady
Communications and Events Coordinator, Tk’emlups Indian Band
T: (250) 828-9780