This is a joint news release between the Government of Yukon and Carcross/Tagish First Nation.
The Government of Yukon and the Carcross/Tagish First Nation have partnered to create a community wildfire protection plan for the Carcross and Tagish areas.
The plan is the first community-specific wildfire resiliency framework for Carcross and Tagish. It will empower the signatories to prioritize local actions that help safeguard communities and make them more resilient to wildfire.
The plan includes 36 recommendations, covering topics such as local emergency planning, community education, forest management and intergovernmental cooperation. The priorities described in the plan include more FireSmart home assessments, more community outreach, managing the forest in high-hazard areas and increasing local wildfire preparedness capacity.
Creating wildfire resilient communities is a team effort. I value this partnership with the Carcross/Tagish First Nation, and I appreciate the hard work that went into creating this plan.
This plan is the beginning of a long-term commitment. Wildfire resilience is not about keeping fire out of the landscape, it is about learning to live with fire while caring for the land in a way that protects what matters most. This plan provides a path forward to safeguard our communities, water, wildlife habitat and culturally important places while creating opportunities for local stewardship and ensuring our forests remain healthy and resilient for generations to come.
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A community wildfire protection plan is a strategy for reducing the wildland fire risk around a community. Communities create plans with support and technical input from the Government of Yukon's Wildland Fire Management Branch. Each plan includes prioritized areas where fuel management should take place and recommendations to reduce the chances that wildland fires will damage structures.
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Community wildfire protection plans have been signed in six Yukon communities and four more are in development.
Matt Davidson
Director, Cabinet Communications
867-334-6637
[email protected]
Julia Duchesne
Communications, Community Services
867-332-4188
[email protected]