Thank you for the question. Before I respond directly to the question, here is some context.
I alluded to wildfires that occurred last year and that caused destruction. A large part of the Tsay Keh Dene indigenous protected area in the Ingenika was destroyed by a wildfire. That was a wildfire that was detected very early on by Tsay Keh and reported to the B.C. Wildfire Service, but it was not actioned. The fire grew out of control, and there was a concern within Tsay Keh that the fire might spread and potentially affect the Tsay Keh Dene community.
That's not an isolated case. It's reinforced for Tsay Keh that Tsay Keh must develop its own wildfire response capability. A wildfire response monitoring capability that enables Tsay Keh to action fires early on could prevent wildfires from growing out of control. Tsay Keh operates businesses, including Chu Cho Industries. Chu Cho Industries is a business that owns substantial equipment, which it uses in construction, mining and forestry. They have some capability in managing major projects. They have some capability in responding to wildfires.
From time to time, Tsay Keh has been approached through Chu Cho Industries about responding to wildfires. Unfortunately that capability is not adequate. It needs to be expanded. They're not always based in the community. They're normally based elsewhere. The plan is that if we can raise sufficient funding to carry out necessary training and acquire new equipment, Tsay Keh intends to establish a very robust wildfire monitoring and response capability. That would enable Tsay Keh to detect fires early on and, where they are detected, to respond to and action those fires before they burn out of control.
Again, I want to be very cautious. The B.C. Wildfire Service is obviously overwhelmed and under-resourced, and that's a reflection, in part, of the seriousness of the problem with wildfires in B.C. at the present time. Climate change has substantially exacerbated the problems with wildfires, and B.C. Wildfire Service is struggling to respond. Tsay Keh, as a steward of the lands and resources in its territory, believes it has a role in responding to wildfires. If we have the resources to do it, Tsay Keh can execute on this.