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SERVICES: Additional $107 million in disaster funding for wildfires, floods
        (AlbertaIndex, August 15, Friday) --- Alberta’s Sustainability Fund has allocated additional funding of more than $107 million for firefighting activities in the province’s forests and municipalities this year and to help residents in several communities recover from a series of severe storms and heavy rainfall.         Sustainable Resource Development received $92.1 million to fight wildfires in the province. This new funding is in addition to $125 million in the department’s base budget, which is used to prepare for fighting wildfires.

Base funding provides for training, securing aircraft, hiring seasonal staff to assist firefighters and opening airtanker bases and fire lookouts.

To date, the department has responded to 1,282 wildfires, ahead of the five-year average of 1,164 wildfires.  The current total includes over 150 new wildfires since last weekend.

As well, $13.7 million in disaster recovery program funding was approved to help residents in southwestern Alberta, St. Albert and Lethbridge recover from a series of severe storms and heavy rainfalls this summer.

Eligible communities for the 2008 Southwestern Disaster Recovery Program include the towns of Black Diamond, High River and Okotoks, the municipal districts of Foothills and Pincher Creek and the Kananaskis Improvement District.

Other municipalities may be added as more information is collected. Damage occurred when heavy rainfall and high stream flows struck southwestern Alberta between May 19 and May 25. On June 17, the City of St. Albert experienced overland flooding from a severe rain and hail storm, while the City of Lethbridge experienced overland flooding from a severe rain storm on July 1.

In addition, $1.5 million in funding has been approved to assist the County of Thorhild and the Buffalo Lake Métis Settlement under the Municipal Wildfire Assistance Program. During the month of May, these communities experienced severe wildfires. This funding will be used to assist these municipalities with emergency operations costs and reclamation efforts.

“These funds help our staff fight wildfires that threaten Alberta’s forested communities,” said Ted Morton, Minister of Sustainable Resource Development. “The protection of human lives and the safety of communities are our top priorities when fighting wildfires.”

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