VICTORIA – Local government officials from across BC met in Whistler earlier this month for the annual Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Convention. With 2017 and 2018 as the two worst wildfire seasons on record, wildfire and community protection were key topics of discussion at the convention. The UBCM delegates endorsed a resolution calling on the BC government to expand the community forest program by increasing both the number and size of community forests to help achieve wildfire protection, promote rural development, and strengthen relationships between Indigenous and non- Indigenous communities. This follows a recommendation from the Abbott/Chapman BC Flood and Wildfire Review calling for an expansion in the number of community forest tenures in areas adjacent to communities as an effective tool for wildfire mitigation.