Governments and non-profits can apply for new NWT wildfire fund

A new program gives money to various levels of government and non-profits to help Firesmart areas of the Northwest Territories.

In a Tuesday news release, the NWT government said its Community Wildfire Resilience Contributions program offers up to $300,000 per applicant each year.

$1.8 million per year has been committed to the program until the end of the 2027-28 financial year.

The money is designed for projects that “prepare people and communities to live alongside wildfire and improve response capabilities at all levels of government during severe wildfire events,” the GNWT stated.

The territory says the program represents a “21-fold increase in available annual funding” from the GNWT for Firesmarting.

The money originates in a federal program created to boost Firesmarting efforts across the country.

“The program is available to community governments, Indigenous governments, Indigenous organizations, non-profit organizations, territorial and federal government departments and agencies, and neighbourhood associations where their projects are supported and administered by any of the prior mentioned organizations,” the territorial government stated.

To learn more, visit the GNWT’s website. Proposals are accepted year-round until that year’s fund is exhausted.