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KELOWNA – The risk of forest fires at 144 recreation sites in the Okanagan is being reduced as a result of the employment of nine forest workers through the Community Development Trust’s Job Opportunities Program, Community Development Minister Kevin Krueger and Okanagan-Vernon MLA Tom Christensen announced.
“The Community Development Trust is one of our key tools to assist forest workers and their families through these challenging economic times,” said Krueger. “This project, worth close to half a million dollars, will assist forest workers while improving fire safety for visitors and residents in the Okanagan.”
The
$470,000 program will mitigate against the likelihood of forest fires in
campgrounds as well as hiking, fishing and day-use areas. Dead or dying trees
and easily combustible material from the forest floor will be removed, reducing
the fire hazards at the sites. The project area ranges from north of
“These forest
workers are conducting valuable fuel management work at 144 recreation sites in
a part of our province that is a year-round outdoor tourism destination,” said
Christensen. “Reducing the risk of fires in so many sites across the region
will benefit future generations of British Columbians.”
Recreation sites near Armstrong,
Canoe, Enderby,
“The forest-fire prevention work is making the forest, parks and communities throughout the Okanagan safer,” said Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell. “The Job Opportunities Program is creating tangible and long-term benefits throughout the Okanagan, and helping maintain a skilled and active forestry workforce all over British Columbia.”
The
$26.25-million Job Opportunities Program helps reduce the impact of current
layoffs on workers employed in the forest industry, retain skilled forest
workers for the anticipated future upturn, and preserve the characteristics of
the labour force in forest-dependent communities.
A forest-dependent community or organization and forest licensees or forest contractors working in co-operation with a forest-dependent community are eligible to submit a project proposal to the Job Opportunities Program. To date, the program has approved $10.7 million to support 65 projects that will employ more than 525 forest workers in communities across the province.
The
Job Opportunities Program is one component of the Community Development Trust,
announced in May 2008. B.C.’s share of
the federal trust is $129 million over three years, with funds also directed to
a Tuition Assistance Program and Transition Assistance for Older Workers
Program.
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Media Contacts: |
Jennifer McLarty Public Affairs Officer Ministry of Forests and Range 250 387-4592 |
Leanne
Ritchie Public Affairs Officer Ministry
of Community Development 250 387-4089 |
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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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