Helping Indigenous communities increase their wildfire resilience

(NC) Wildfires are having an increased impact on communities living near forests and grasslands. In Nova Scotia, hotter and drier summers are increasing the risk of wildfire for communities like the Acadia First Nation. In the past five years, the five counties across which Acadia First Nation spans saw a total of 323 recorded wildfires which burned more than 28,000 hectares of land.

Until recently, wildfires were not a big concern in this part of Canada. With climate change causing more severe storms and droughts, wildfires can only be expected to increase, putting communities at greater risk.

There are large-scale programs, such as Intact’s Municipal Climate Resiliency Grants, that provide wildfire protection measures for Indigenous communities at risk. The grant program supported The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq’s efforts to build wildfire resilience for its member communities, including the Wasoqopa’q First Nation.

“Without programs and initiatives like this, our communities would be left vulnerable. These initiatives empower us to take control over those things that make us feel most insecure,” explains Joseph Falls, emergency management coordinator for the Wasoqopa’q First Nation.

As part of a larger wildfire resilience project, the Confederacy worked with local forestry contractors to create strips of cleared land called firebreaks to limit the spread of wildfire to other areas. Without fuel from vegetation, the firebreaks can create a barrier between these communities and the surrounding wooded areas and allow emergency response teams more time to react to outbreaks.

Trained members and volunteers also helped remove trees, vegetation and other forest debris from the perimeter of buildings to reduce wildfire fuel and help protect community infrastructure, such as the Wasoqopa’q sawmill operation in Gardner’s Mills.

“This work is vital, and I am so proud of our community for taking the initiative to protect, prepare and prevent by being wildfire smart,” says Natteal Battiste, a Wasoqopa’q First Nation councillor.

Communities can learn more about the grant program and how to apply at intactfc.com/mcrg.