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CBT funding Nelson $137K for wildfire mitigation

The money is part of over $800,000 spread out to 20 communities
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The Harrop-Procter fire north of Nelson burned for several months last summer. Nelson has received $137,000 from the Columbia Basin Trust for wildfire mitigation. Photo: Douglas Noblet

Nelson will receive $137,000 in Columbia Basin Trust funding for its wildfire mitigation projects.

The money is part of $856,406 handed out to projects in 20 communities, including Castlegar, Rossland, Silverton, Slocan and the Regional District of Central Kootenay.

CBT originally stated the funds were $103,000 for Nelson and $822,406 total, but updated the figures March 28.

Nelson’s funds, according to a CBT release Monday, will help “deliver evacuation training and plans,” “implement emergency planning to support an evacuation,” “implement a community preparedness and emergency notification campaign,” and “reduce wildfire risks by protecting critical infrastructure and identifying alternate water supplies for firefighting in the city.”

Other West Kootenay projects include:

• Castlegar receives $20,000 to “conduct FireSmart assessments for private property owners and complete fuel mitigation prescriptions and treatments on public lands” in a partnership with Selkirk College’s Forestry program.

• Rossland will get $40,000 to promote a Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, and to conduct fuel treatments.

• The RDCK is being granted $100,00 to implement its FireSmart Home Partners Program, and to further research wildfire planning and emergency zones.

• Silverton receives $14,000 to do fuel management on 18.2 hectares of at-risk land.

• Slocan gets $8,000 for fuel management on 10.9 hectares of land.