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VICTORIA – The Province has granted an additional $250,000 to the Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition to finalize a regionally developed plan for sustaining beetle-impacted communities and First Nations into the future, Forests and Range Minister Rich Coleman announced today.
“This additional funding will enable the Cariboo-Chilcotin coalition to put the finishing touches on their planning phase,” said Coleman. “The coalition has developed an impressive series of strategies to guide the Cariboo-Chilcotin through the social and economic challenges created by the beetle infestation.”
The Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition (CCBAC) is now integrating 14 economic sector strategies, social impacts analysis, research studies and public input into a single Regional Community Economic Diversification and Mountain Pine Beetle Mitigation Plan. The final plan is expected to be completed for provincial and federal government review this summer.
“We believe this plan will be the blueprint for the best possible future that we can collectively create for our communities,” said 100 Mile House Mayor Donna Barnett, also the chair of CCBAC. “It’s encouraging and empowering to have government fully engaged and working directly with us to find solutions to the beetle challenges facing our region.”
CCBAC will also use the $250,000 provided by the Province to create one-year positions for a forest worker transition co-ordinator and a climate change/sustainability co-ordinator.
The forest worker transition co-ordinator will collaborate with an industry advisory committee to begin implementing priority recommendations from CCBAC’s forest worker strategy. The co-ordinator will also focus on ensuring workers impacted by the forest sector’s current downtown and the mountain pine beetle epidemic will have access to employment transition and training services.
The climate change/sustainability co-ordinator will focus on priority issues, such as water quality, identified in the coalition’s conservation strategy.
CCBAC has now received $2.75 million from the Province since April 2005 to plan for the future stability and diversification of affected communities and First Nations in the Cariboo-Chilcotin.
CCBAC is one of three groups receiving funding and support from the Province for developing response and recovery strategies specific to their region. The Omineca Beetle Action Coalition has received $1.7 million to date while the Southern Interior Beetle Action Coalition has received $850,000.
Encouraging immediate and long-term economic
sustainability for communities is part of the provincial Mountain Pine Beetle
Action Plan. For more information on the Action Plan, or to download a copy,
visit www.gov.bc.ca/pinebeetle
online.
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Public Affairs Officer 250 387-4592 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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