Additional funding bolsters Yukon First Nations-led wildfire risk reduction

Press Release

07/06/2023

The Government of Yukon and the Government of Canada are partnering to enhance community wildfire prevention across the territory.

This includes a new $700,000 investment from the Government of Canada towards Yukon First Nations-led FireSmart projects delivered through Indigenous Services Canada’s Emergency Management Assistance Program.

The Government of Yukon is contributing $850,000 towards FireSmart initiatives as part of its annual budget. This funding, delivered through the Department of Community Services’ Wildland Fire Management branch, supports local projects that remove and reduce forest fuels like trees and deadfall from greenbelts and undeveloped natural growth areas.

The combined $1.55 million will support 32 locally-driven projects throughout the Yukon in 2023.

The Government of Yukon is committed to building strong and resilient communities. Through the FireSmart Funding Program, we are bolstering local wildfire prevention and mitigation strategies, and by supporting First Nations governments and community groups with additional funding, we help our partners on the ground do more to protect the places they call home.

Minister of Community Services Richard Mostyn

Today, the Government of Canada with the Yukon Government is announcing support for FireSmart—a program that supports Indigenous-led solutions to promote safety in their communities and be better prepared in the case of wildfires. There is no priority greater than the health and safety of Indigenous Peoples. First Nations peoples and communities are the first to be affected by climate change. Wildfires pose a unique risk in remote and northern Indigenous communities where there are fewer emergency services. This funding is an important step to support communities in their planning to prevent wildfires and be ready should a wildfire happen near their community.

Minister of Indigenous Services Patty Hajdu

Quick facts<

The Government of Yukon is contributing $850,000 towards FireSmart initiatives as part of the annual budget of the Department of Community Services’ Wildland Fire Management branch.
Indigenous Services Canada is investing $700,00 in new funding to Yukon First Nation-led FireSmart projects through the Emergency Management Assistance Program (EMAP).
EMAP provides funding to First Nations communities to support resiliency, prepare for natural hazards and respond to them using the 4 pillars of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.
The following First Nations governments are receiving additional FireSmart funding:
- Kwanlin Dün First Nation
- Champagne and Aishihik First Nations
- Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation
- Ross River Dena Council
- Teslin Tlingit Council
- Selkirk First Nation
- Liard First Nation
- Kluane First Nation
The FireSmart program builds skills in First Nations communities to prevent and prepare for wildland fires. Programming involves training First Nations teams in wildfire suppression duties, as well as fuel management and clearing of vegetation, which reduces the intensity and spread of wildfires.