Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources works with communities on plans to reduce the risk posed by summer wildfires. Implementing these plans is really important. We all know of communities where residents had to be evacuated when the fires were burning too close.

It is typical for communities to cut a firebreak around the community, which is a widely accepted way to reduce the risk to both life and property. Cutting firebreaks is especially important in our small communities, which have limited resources for fire departments, let alone capacity to take fast action to defend against wildfire moving in.

The department knows of this, Mr. Speaker. In 2015, its review of the previous year's terrible fire season resulted in a number of recommendations. One of the most important was the need to encourage communities to fire smart to protect their valuables at risk. I want to be clear. The valuables at risk are lives, homes, businesses, community halls, offices, schools, and gyms. There are a lot more, but you get the idea.

It seems that it is far easier for communities to get encouragement than it is to get money to actually do the work. The reality is that the fire smarting of a community costs money, and our communities do not have it.

Mr. Speaker, I am told that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources used to fund communities for fire smarting but now expects the communities to use their capital funding to do it. I want to say the department passed the buck on this, but it is more like the department is not passing on any bucks to do the job.

We all know about the huge shortfall or the funding gap that communities have faced for years when it comes to capital funding. Communities are already being short-changed on funding to meet pressing infrastructure needs. Telling communities to cover the cost of fire smarting is just adding insult to injury. It won't get the work done. Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to conclude my statement. Thank you.

---Unanimous consent granted