Land Stewardship

The Land Stewardship Grant application is now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted a grant application. The next opportunity to apply for this grant will be the fall of 2025 and will use the Survey Apply system.

Please review our Land Stewardship Guidelines if you are interested in applying for this grant

To apply for funding, download the Land Stewardship Application Part 1 (word document) and Application Budget Part 2 (xls spreadsheet). Submit completed application to Barb von Sacken via email bvonsacken@hctf.ca .

Program Information

• Guiding Principles

  Accountability: Funding recipients will develop 3-year-plans outlining specific goals, objectives and operational outcomes, including performance indicators; provide annual reports on achievements of the goals, objectives and operational outcomes;

  Maximum Conservation Benefit: Grants will be used only for activities directly related to the conservation and enhancement of biological diversity, fish, fish habitat, wildlife or wildlife habitat.

  Cost Effectiveness: Applicants must use least cost / most benefit methods in applications.

  Best Management Practices: Organizations must use best management practices and/or best science to maximize effectiveness of conservation activities

• Organization Eligibility

  Eligible organizations are defined as non-government (NGO), non-profit organizations who own and manage the conservation properties for which they are applying for funding.

• Property Eligibility

  Eligible properties are defined as fee-simple conservation lands in British Columbia that are both owned and managed by an NGO. Properties can be either an individual fee-simple parcel or a complex of fee-simple parcels that are managed as a unit by the NGO applying for funding. Lands owned by any level of government are excluded. Lands owned and managed for recreational, historical, agricultural, cultural or architectural values are not eligible for funding.

• Capital Asset Requests

  In order to maximize the on-the-ground impact of every conservation dollar, HCTF will consider requests for capital assets where they are necessary to complete the project and where the cost per asset does not exceed $3,500. This threshold may be lifted in certain circumstances, such as for immobile assets (e.g. cattleguards, aerators, etc.). Please contact HCTF to discuss if you wish to request an asset over $3,500. Note that any asset purchased must only be used for conservation purposes.

• Activities Eligible for Funding

  The Eligible Activities List is available here. This list also forms an appendix to the Conditional Grant Agreement for approved projects.

• Ineligible Activities

  Ineligible activities include (but are not limited to):

  • Conservation covenant monitoring
  • Legal fees
  • Insurance costs
  • Strategic/higher level land use planning or ecosystem planning
  • Residential tenancy agreements/rentals
  • General festivals/tours/events that do not directly pertain to operations and maintenance of the properties
  • General patrols
  • General lease administration (e.g.,right-of-way’s, lease modifications, tax exemptions)
  • Organizational fundraising
  • Cultural, heritage, historical or architectural operations and maintenance activities
  • Non-applied research (research not directly related to a management purpose)
  • Training costs for contractors
  • Enforcement activities
  • Fish rearing, farming, stocking or hatcheries projects
  • Rehabilitation, captive breeding, feeding or control of wildlife species
  • Salmon-only or marine projects that do not benefit freshwater species or habitats
  • Guides for fishing and hunting, tours, or school curriculum
  • Information projects on regulations or stocking
  • Conferences, lecture series, or conventions
  • Production or sponsorship of commercial programs
  • Interpretive services
  • Creation or management of electronic databases, websites or filesystems
  • Propagation of native plants for sale (commercial purposes)

  Questions? Please contact Barb von Sacken, Conservation Program Coordinator at bvonsacken@hctf.ca or 250-940-3013.

For any questions on the Land Stewardship Grant program, please contact Barb von Sacken at bvonsacken@hctf.ca or 250-940-3013.

Congratulations on the approval of your Land Stewardship Project! Here are a few things you need to know to manage your HCTF Land Stewardship Grant

• Conditional Grant Agreement

  Please note that your project final approval is subject to entering into a Conditional Grant Agreement with HCTF. You will receive a notification from HCTF via DocuSign to sign your agreement electronically when it is ready. Please read your grant agreement carefully and complete all requirements before returning to HCTF.

  View a sample of the Conditional Grant Agreement here.

• Project Change Request
  
  If circumstances have changed and your approved project requires modifications from your original proposal in terms of goals, objectives, activities, or budget allocation, you must submit a written request to HCTF using the general Project Change Request Form. Please submit your completed request to Barb von Sacken. Depending on the nature of the request, it will be reviewed by HCTF staff, and if necessary, the Land Stewardship Technical Review Committee.
  
• Contract Extensions
  
  This grant does not allow for contract extensions.
  
• HCTF & Province of British Columbia Acknowledgement

  The funding for the HCTF Land Stewardship Grant is provided from the proceeds on an endowment provided by the Province of British Columbia. Therefore, HCTF and the Province of British Columbia must be acknowledged in any publicity issued, printed or distributed, including signs, displays, reports, announcements, articles, press releases, or media interviews.

  This includes a requirement for including the HCTF and Province of British Columbia logo on all signs funded under the program. All signage must be pre-approved by both HCTF and the Province:

  • HCTF logos are available here
  • The Province of British Columbia logo can be requested by emailing FLNRO.MediaRequests@gov.bc.ca with the following request: “As a recent funding recipient of the HCTF Land Stewardship Grant, I’m requesting a copy of the ministry logo to acknowledge the financial support of the ministry for our project.”

  For materials such as reports and brochures, please include the following acknowledgement statement, in addition to the logo: “The (insert Name of Organization) recognizes the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and the Province of British Columbia for making a significant financial contribution to support the (insert Name of Project). Partnerships are key to conserving BC’s wildlife, fish, and their habitats.”

  Additional questions regarding logo use should be directed to Communications and Outreach Coordinator.
  

• Payment Schedule

  An accountable advance of 50% is provided to the proponent after signing the Conditional Grant Agreement. The next payment of 30% is made after the initial 50% has been spent and a Year 1 Grant Report has been received along with an invoice. The final payment of 20% is made upon receipt of the Final Year Grant Report.

Questions?

If you have any questions please contact Barb von Sacken at bvonsacken@hctf.ca or 250-940-3013.

HCTF Land Stewardship Grant Projects require grant reports to be submitted annually, with reports due by April 15th each year of the grant. Report forms are emailed directly to project proponents. Please submit your grant reports to Reporting@hctf.ca.

If you have not received your report form or have any reporting questions, please contact Barb von Sacken at bvonsacken@hctf.ca or 250-940-3013.