Online community survey closes on October 18
The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) has launched a survey to identify ways to improve community awareness about its Wildfire Mitigation Program.
Feedback from the survey will help shape the RMOW’s communications strategies related to the three pillars of the Wildfire Mitigation Program: Wildfire Fuel Thinning, FireSmart program and Public Education and ultimately the updated Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan.
“As we see our summers become increasingly hotter, longer and drier, our risk of large-scale wildfire intensifies,” said Mayor Jack Crompton. “Wildfire mitigation is a collective responsibility that requires the joint efforts of the municipality, residents, businesses and our guests. This survey will help us improve our communications efforts so the importance of the Wildfire Mitigation Program is widely understood, and the public will understand their role in reducing our risk to wildfire.”
The online survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and can be accessed at whistler.ca/wildfire. The survey closes at 12 p.m. on October 18.
About the Wildfire Mitigation Program
The RMOW’s wildfire mitigation efforts are currently guided by the recommendations of the 2011 Community Wildfire Protection Plan, which provides a framework for reducing wildfire risk in Whistler. Many of the recommendations within the 2011 Plan have been completed or are ongoing, such as the wildfire fuel mitigation projects and FireSmart program.
In 2021, the RMOW is undergoing an update, known as the Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan, which will identify high priority areas for wildfire fuel thinning as well as recommendations to ensure Whistler’s program is delivering the seven FireSmart disciplines: education, emergency planning, vegetation management, legislation, development, interagency cooperation, and cross training.
The Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan is anticipated to be presented to Council in the first quarter of 2022.
