Prince George, B.C.- This week, some ranchers in the Clinton area have  called for compensation from the Province for the loss of cattle and  ranchland because of a controlled burn that went out of control.

There will be an “agri-recovery program” for  ranchers, but  there  is no word on when compensation will be available.  Brent Barclay, Manager of Regional Development for the Ministry of Agriculture  says the Province is working on it “The Province is in discussion with the Government of Canada around an agri-recovery program and developing a framework for that,  I do not know when that will be completed, but that is  one of the first steps in order to receive funding and that was initiated several weeks ago, so we were actively looking at compensation and a recovery program a while ago.”

Barclay says there are  a number of supports available to ranchers, including the $6 million dollar fence rebuilding program recently announced by the Province. “Emergency Management  BC  Commercial Livestock relocation program  provides  resources to producers to evacuate and relocate their livestock.”  He says emergency feed for livestock is also available  to those who have lost grazing areas as a result of the wildfires.    Barclay adds the BC Cattlemens Association is working with the Ministry of Forests and Range to locate suitable crown lands, or private areas for  grazing.

According to Barclay,  350 Cariboo ranchers and a further 100 in the  Kamloops region have received some form of support including  access to emergency feed, relocating livestock,  or  gaining re-entry permits to  evacuation order  properties to feed their  livestock.

It estimated there are 30 thousand ranch animals impacted by the  wildfires in the Cariboo-Chilcotin,  but Barclay says there  are no firm numbers yet on the  number of animals that may have been lost or  injured.