In support of the Parks Canada/BC Agreement on the Stewardship of Ecological Corridors in British Columbia program, HCTF is pleased to announce a new funding opportunity for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

This opportunity stems from a collaboration between the Parks Canada National Program for Ecological Corridors and the B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship.

The available funding is focused on identifying, planning, developing, and recognizing ecological corridors, and catalyzing action to maintain or restore ecological connectivity and protect Indigenous stewardship values within them. The work is to take place in National Priority Areas of Ecological Corridors 1 to 6 in B.C. (seen here: National priority areas for ecological corridors (canada.ca)). Within these National priority areas, projects will be favored that coincide with areas of Environment Stewardship Initiative Forums, collaborative stewardship forums, strategic planning processes, or similar government-to-government forums.

The funding is targeted for ecological corridor and habitat connectivity stewardship, through support for
1) area-based planning and local action, like habitat restoration and management, and
2) knowledge acquisition, science, and information development, such as monitoring, mapping, and/or application of traditional knowledge. All area-based planning and local action projects must involve leadership by First Nations or other active First Nations engagement. Knowledge acquisition, science and information development projects with participation from First Nations will be favored although this is not a requirement for work focused on collecting, mapping, and/or modelling ecological data.

Quadra Hill seen from Vanilla Leaf – Galiano Conservancy Association

All projects will need to deliver work that will support durable, long-term ecosystem connectivity before January 2026, or to deliver by the same date a product (e.g., a plan or information to be used in a planning process) that is expected to have a durable impact through its legacy. This funding opportunity is not intended to directly support the construction or purchase of major infrastructure (e.g., wildlife highway overpass), but can be used to support partners in these activities through science, planning, or similar work, or through the purchase of smaller equipment and supplies (e.g., signage, fencing, etc.).

Proposals are to be submitted through the regular Fish & Wildlife Grant Survey Apply application process. If you believe that your project would be a good fit for this funding, please add the words “Ecological Corridors” at the end of your project title in your Survey Apply application.

The application deadline for Fish & Wildlife Grants is Friday, November 1, 2024, at 4:30pm PDT.

For questions regarding the ecological corridor funding or Fish & Wildlife Grants, please contact HCTF’s Grants Officer Amy Perkins at amy.perkins@hctf.ca or 250-940-3014.

Projects that have already received funding elsewhere through the Nationals Ecological Corridor program or through the BC-Canada Agreement for Ecological Corridor Stewardship may not be eligible.