$20M for Wildfire Prevention

The federal government of Canada is providing $20 million in funding to North West Territories (N.W.T) communities for wildfire prevention, reports CBC News. The funding was announced by Michael McLeod, the N.W.T. member of parliament, on Saturday at the Chateau Nova in Yellowknife for the N.W.T. Association of Communities annual general meeting.

The funding will go toward vegetation management in 29 communities. This includes creating fire breaks and implementation of fire fuel reduction strategies for over 1,200 hectares of land, a press release said.

"Wildfires, droughts, coastal erosion and permafrost degradation is becoming more and more frequent and more severe," McLeod said.

An additional $4.5 million in federal funding will go toward infrastructure projects in nine communities.