Thu, 13 Jul 2023
Tags: Community / PCAF

18 Community Grant Projects Receive Funding

Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society - Volunteers working on The Kootenay Lake Kokanee Salmon Spawning Habitat Research and Restoration Project

HCTF’s Community Grants (formerly PCAF) will be providing funding to 18 different projects working to complete volunteer-based conservation projects in BC. The Foundation approved $149,656 in grants this year for projects ranging from creek restoration to bat protection and monitoring. A full list of this year’s grant recipients is below.

You can find out more about HCTF’s Community Grants program here.

Mill (Harrop) Creek Kokanee Spawning Gravel Weir

SPONSOR: WEST ARM OUTDOORS CLUB

The West Arm Outdoors Club is undertaking a kokanee spawning habitat project in Mill Creek located at Harrop BC. Two gravel platforms will be constructed at the lower reach of Mill Creek before it flows into the West Arm of Kootenay Lake. Volunteers and local community members will build two engineered gravel platforms that are designed to support quality spawning gravel. Kokanee spawners will utilize the platforms and club members will work with the Ministry of Forests–fisheries to count spawner numbers.

Simpcw Caribou Lichen Collection

SPONSOR: SIMPCW NATURAL RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

Simpcw is undertaking a lichen collection project to aid in a supplemental caribou feeding program. The Project will deploy help from community members, while on a guided interpretive walks, volunteers will aid in lichen collection. The lichen, along with an ungulate grain feed, will supplement caribou diets during the winter to help improve overall health for the herd.

Whitebark Pine Community Cone Cleaning

SPONSOR: SIMPCW NATURAL RESOURCE DEPARTMENT

The Whitebark Pine Community Cone Cleaning Project will help conserve and restore whitebark pine populations, which are keystone species in high elevation forests of Simpcw Territory. Whitebark pine cones contain nutrient-rich seeds that are important food sources for wildlife and are critical to the tree’s reproductive cycle. Community members will help to remove the seeds from the cones, then clean and prepare the seeds to grow new trees for restoration planting. Some of the seed will also be retained by the community for food and medicinal use. The project will provide an opportunity for community members to get involved in conservation efforts, learn more about the importance of whitebark pine trees, and build partnerships between different organizations.

Revitalizing Lost Lagoon

SPONSOR: STANLEY PARK ECOLOGY SOCIETY

This project will revitalize Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park with six connected artificial islands and six floating logs for wildlife. The goal is to improve the natural infrastructure surrounding Stanley Park’s freshwater ecosystem and enhance biodiversity for climate resiliency. The project will engage community volunteers in hands-on habitat enhancement and restoration to foster an appreciation for freshwater ecosystems and build a community of stewards and create a knowledge transfer strategy to encourage sustainable behavior changes for the protection of freshwater in Canada.

Elk Valley Cottonwood Restoration – Phase 2: Conservation Lands

SPONSOR: ELK RIVER ALLIANCE

Elk Valley Cottonwood Restoration – Phase 2: Conservation Lands will restore riparian and floodplain forests on conservation properties in the Elk Valley. Volunteers will plant thousands of native plants to improve and protect aquatic and terrestrial habitat for vulnerable species like Westslope cutthroat trout, elk, grizzly bear, blue heron and other species while improving flood resilience to protect downstream communities.

Silver Star Black Bear Education Trail

SPONSOR: SILVERSTAR PROPERTY OWNERS ASSOCIATION

The Silver Star Black Bear Stewardship Group will use art, wonder and play to inspire people to conserve black bears in their habitat. Multiple themed stations along a newly formed black bear education trail will be created, each with its own unique purpose. The stations will guide the public on black bear biology and behaviour as well as provide stories of bears in their habitat throughout history.

S,DÁYES Flycatcher Forest Restoration Project

SPONSOR: RAINCOAST CONSERVATION FOUNDATION

Raincoast’s Forest Conservation Program (FCP) aims to strengthen protection and stewardship of rare Coastal Douglas-fir (CDF) forests characteristic to BC’s south coast. A strategy to achieve this goal has been to establish a land trust. Having co-purchased two conservation properties on S,DÁYES (North Pender Island) since 2021 we are working to establish restoration strategies that involve community members, honour W̱SÁNEĆ Knowledge systems, enhance biodiversity, increase carbon sequestration, and maximize climate resilience.

Stewardship Initiatives for Invasive Plant Management on Public/Crown Lands

SPONSOR: EAST KOOTENAY INVASIVE SPECIES COUNCIL

The East Kootenay Invasive Species Council is utilizing HCTF Community Grant funding to mobilize individuals for invasive species management across the East Kootenays. Through this community-driven initiative, resources for tackling invasive species are being made accessible to the public. The project aims to assist in identifying invasive species, actively removing them, and restoring sensitive ecosystems by replanting native species. Tangible outcomes are being achieved as a result of this collaborative effort.

Education and Restoration at Dallas Creek

SPONSOR: WILDCOAST ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Wildcoast Ecological Society will restore a portion of Dallas Creek in James Park with the help of community volunteers and 400 students from Ecole Moody Middle School of the Arts. Everyone will learn how to protect their neighbourhood creek so that it may provide habitat for salmon and other wildlife for generations.

Bat Habitat Protection and Community Education

SPONSOR: NORTH OYSTER AND AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

The North Oyster Hall located in Yellow Point area in Ladysmith, has discovered hundreds of bats roosting in the attic of the hall. This is the largest roosting site in mid Vancouver Island. Our goals are to provide a safe and secure nesting area for the bats, and to be engaged in providing community education on bats and bat conservation. We will set up a live webcam for public viewing and learning about bats and produce informational material that will be available to the public and engage volunteers taking part in bat counts.

Fish Habitat & Riparian Restoration Stewardship Workshops

SPONSOR: B.C. WILDLIFE FEDERATION

The B.C. Wildlife Federation’s Fish Habitat Stewardship Workshops will restore streams and green spaces in Metro Vancouver and Invermere and train participants to become stewards of their local streams. BC is home to many native fish species that are under threat from anthropogenic-caused habitat loss and fragmentation. In many of BC’s urban streams, the quality of available habitat and resident fish populations have been dramatically declining due to pollution and development. Many fish species are extremely vulnerable to climate change, often as a result of struggling to adapt to rapidly changing environments. Our workshops address these issues by improving habitat conditions for native species through habitat enhancements and streamkeeper training.

Lois Creek Stream and Wetland Enhancement Project

SPONSOR: WILDSIGHT

The Lois Creek stream and wetland enhancement is a small-scale ecosystem restoration focused project. It will enhance stream and wetland function along Lois Creek, in Kimberley BC, while engaging many grassroots community groups and local citizens.

Riparian Habitat Restoration and Reed Canarygrass Removal in Mallard Creek

SPONSOR: COMOX VALLEY PROJECT WATERSHED SOCIETY

Robust and healthy riparian corridors through agricultural land are important landscape assets for salmon, amphibians, and birds, providing rearing, spawning, and nesting habitat and filtering pollutants from nearby farming activities. Project Watershed will remove an aggressive invasive forage grass, Reed canarygrass, from Mallard Creek and reestablish a native riparian species that will enhance habitat quality within this stream for fish, amphibians, and birds.

Firehall, Lily and Bilston Creek Riparian Restoration Projects

SPONSOR: BILSTON WATERSHED HABITAT PROTECTION ASSOCIATION

Funding from this grant will be used for educational signage and for restoration of riparian areas along Firehall, Lily and Bilston Creeks in the Luxton neighborhood of Langford. The creeks in that part of Bilston Watershed have been and continue to be heavily impacted. Many new residents of the area are not aware of the restoration potential and ecological value of the creeks. Thanks to the high volume of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle traffic in Luxton, signage and restoration activities in the Luxton neighbourhood will effectively raise awareness of the interconnectedness and vulnerability of the entire Bilston Watershed.

Ecosystem Restoration via Cultural and Prescribed Fire in the Dry Interior

SPONSOR: B.C. WILDLIFE FEDERATION

The B.C. Wildlife Federation is partnering with First Nations, NGOs, and the government to undertake cultural and prescribed fire treatments in three sites in the Interior, along with other restoration techniques, to restore wildlife and vegetation habitat. Subsequent research will monitor wildlife and vegetation activity to demonstrate the effects of prescribed burns on wildlife and vegetation, which will be used to support future prescribed burn projects. The Community Grant will be used to train volunteers setup and maintain cameras used for data collection and vegetation monitoring.

Quadra Hill Wetland Restoration and Carbon Enhancement Project

SPONSOR: GALIANO CONSERVANCY ASSOCIATION

The Galiano Conservancy Association is restoring 3 ha of degraded pasture and farmland into a forested wetland ecosystem to improve ecological connectivity across its 660+ ha Mid-Island Protected Areas Network. The goal of this project is to restore and enhance the landscape and increase its ability to absorb freshwater and sequester carbon through native vegetation and wetland creation. Central to this goal is establishing climate-resilient western redcedar forest.

Turtles and Toads: Engaging Volunteers To Protect Two At-Risk Species

SPONSOR: COASTAL PARTNERS IN CONSERVATION SOCIETY

Western Painted Turtles and Western Toads are two at-risk species that face many threats in the South Coast region of BC. To protect these iconic species, the Coastal Partners in Conservation Society will engage volunteers and the public to restore habitat and collect important breeding and migration data that can be used to mitigate threats and preserve populations of these species, and their habitats, for years to come.

Lower Craigflower Creek Riparian Restoration

SPONSOR: COASTAL COLLABORATIVE SCIENCES (A DIVISION OF WORLD FISHERIES TRUST)

Coastal Collaborative Sciences (a division of World Fisheries Trust) is working with CRD Parks, the Town of View Royal, the Songhees Nation Marine Team, the Gorge Waterway Action Society, New Roads Recovery, and other community members and stewards to restore the degraded reaches of lower Craigflower Creek. This restoration project will remove invasive plants that have taken over the floodplains and replace them with native riparian vegetation to support birds, amphibians, and endangered salmonids within Craigflower Creek. This multi-year project will improve the stream’s resilience to the impacts of climate change by increasing shade, flood and erosion control, and biodiversity, while providing environmental education, outreach, and natural beauty to our local community.

Tue, 6 Jun 2023
Tags: Caribou / chrf

World Caribou Day 2023: Discover the Canadian Caribou Subspecies

Klinse-Za Caribou Herd – Mount Rochfort

Here in British Columbia on World Caribou Day we are thankful that our forests and mountains are still home to the Woodland subspecies of caribou, including Boreal, Northern and Southern mountain caribou.

For those living in the regions where caribou roam, these creatures are a lens into the health and connectivity of the overall ecosystem. They are both an umbrella species (their health indicates the health of the ecosystem as a whole) and indicator species (easily impacted by changes to their habitat). Caribou are also considered a cultural keystone species due to their immense importance to Indigenous peoples across Canada. This video by Chu Cho Environmental illustrates the deep cultural relationship between the Tsay Keh Dene people and Wedzih, the caribou:

All caribou in British Columbia are under threat of population declines from habitat loss and the altering and fragmentation of habitat. For many subpopulations habitat degradation has already taken a toll on individual herds as First Nations, environmental non-profits, teams from the Province of British Columbia and Government of Canada, and some industry partners work together to help restore or maintain populations that are threatened or endangered.

Arguably the most important part of recovering caribou populations is habitat protection and restoration. The Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF) is proud to support the continued restoration of roads, seismic lines and other linear disturbances to help limit human and predator access into habitat of threatened herds. Click here to learn more about the projects we’re funding this year and here to subscribe to our newsletter (select “Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund grants”) for more information.

Mon, 24 Apr 2023
Tags: F&W / Fish & Wildlife

$8 Million in Funding Approved for Conservation Projects Across B.C.

Project 7-540: Prescribed Burns for Wild Sheep Enhancement in Northeastern BC

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation today announced over $8 million that will fund 167 fish and wildlife conservation projects across B.C.

2023-24 HCTF Project List

For over 40 years, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) has provided grants to a large network of recipients who undertake conservation projects each year. With support from HCTF, a wide range of nonprofit organizations, First Nations and Indigenous communities, Provincial ministries, and community groups implement projects that protect B.C.’s wildlife, freshwater fish, and their habitats. Since 1981, the HCTF has funded over 3,550 projects representing an investment of over $215 million for conservation in B.C.

CEO Dan Buffett is pleased with the diversity of projects as “each project undergoes a multi-step technical review process to direct funding to the best projects for fish, wildlife and their habitats.”

Project 5-310: Invasive Mussel Monitoring for the Cariboo Regional District

A significant source of funding for projects is the conservation surcharge paid by B.C.’s anglers, hunters, trappers, and guide outfitters when they purchase their respective licenses. HCTF also receives substantial funding from partner organizations like the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. (FESBC), provincial government contributions, court awards, and endowments.

FESBC’s Executive Director Steve Kozuki is “thrilled to partner with the trusted and respected Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation to improve wildlife habitat. With their first-in-class management of funds and projects by talented and professional staff, we know that we are maximizing benefits for wildlife in British Columbia.”

This year’s approved projects include:

  • $254,809 for functional and ecological restoration of approximately 16 km of linear corridors in the Clearwater Valley, led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society.
  • $146,747 to enhance 200 km2 of moose habitat in Nazko First Nation territory including rehabilitation of 100 km of forest resource roads.
  • $130,794 to determine the migration behaviour and habitat use of juvenile white sturgeon in the Pitt River watershed of the Lower Fraser River to develop habitat protections and restoration prescriptions.
  • $92,938 for the restoration of a former sawmill site in the heart of the salmonid migratory corridor of the Puntledge and Tsolum Rivers watersheds in the Comox Valley; this will restore the forested tidal wetland and reconnect the site to the floodplain of the Courtenay River, benefiting salmon, trout, and many other wildlife species.
  • $95,940 for the enhancement of critical habitat for mule deer, white-tailed deer, and Rocky Mountain elk between Raymond and Red Canyon Creeks in the Galton Range. Efforts will focus on slashing treatments and invasive plant management.

Project 2-349: Enhancing Upland Farmland for Wildlife in the Fraser River Delta

The B.C. Wildlife Federation also received funding this year: “Funding from HCTF will help the B.C. Wildlife Federation to train a new generation of habitat stewards through our Wetlands Institute,” said Neil Fletcher, BCWF Director of Conservation Stewardship. “With the support of HCTF, we offer a seven-day boot camp to qualified British Columbians who are pursuing projects in their communities. The grant for the Water, Water, Everywhere project will enable the BCWF to strategically place wetlands designed to mimic beaver dams with ability to restore and enhance wildlife habitat and riparian areas all over B.C.,” Fletcher added. “Installing beaver dam analogues with local partners will allow us to share our skills and expand our network of conservation stewards.”

To see the complete list of HCTF funded projects or explore the conservation work being done near you, view the 2023-24 Approved Project List.

Wed, 15 Mar 2023
Tags: Caribou / Fish & Wildlife / News

Preliminary Approved Project List 2023-24

A preliminary list of HCTF approved projects for 2023-24 is now available.

Preliminary Approved Project List 2023-24

Projects included on this preliminary list have been approved in principle but may have reduced budgets or funding conditions. All applicants will receive official notification emails including HCTF Board and technical committee comments. For approved projects, these emails will include the grant amount and funding conditions (if applicable). Please note that HCTF staff cannot provide further information to you before the Notifications are issued.

Proponents of approved projects will receive a Conditional Grant Agreement. Please be aware that until both you and HCTF have reviewed, accepted and signed the Conditional Grant Agreement, there is no confirmation of funding and no legal commitment in place.

Congratulations to all successful proponents! To those applicants who were not funded this time, thank you for your interest. The next opportunity to apply for an HCTF Enhancement and Restoration, Stewardship or Caribou Habitat Restoration Grant will be Fall of 2023 (Deadline: Friday November 3, 2023).

How are Grant Applications Reviewed?

Each proposal undergoes a multi-level, objective technical review prior to final Board decisions. For more information on what reviewers look for when evaluating a proposal, see our Grant Apply page.

Wed, 22 Feb 2023
Tags: Habitat Acquisition

2023 Habitat Acquisition Grant Applications Now Open!

Perserverance Creek by Sara Kepner

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) is now accepting applications for the Habitat Acquisition Grant. Applications must be submitted through HCTF’s online application system by 4:30pm on Monday, April 17, 2023 (PST).

Each year, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation provides approximately $500,000 in Habitat Acquisition grants to help fund acquisition projects that secure and manage conservation properties in British Columbia. One such project is Project Perseverance a 90.5-hectare (224 acre) watershed and habitat protection project near the Village of Cumberland on Vancouver Island. This property was secured in 2020 via the purchase of privately owned forest lands and now protects an ecologically rich habitat corridor that is home to a host of species including Western toads, Little Brown bats, and Roosevelt elk. The waterways support Coho salmon as well as Rainbow and Cutthroat Trout. Project Perseverance is now part of the Cumberland Community Forest Park, a 225-hectare park which includes three other areas purchased and protected by the Cumberland Community Forest Society since 2006. These areas are all protected through a Section 219 Conservation Covenant. To find out more visit www.cumberlandforest.com.

For 2023, HCTF will continue to prioritize acquisition applications that seek to increase conservation outcomes for fish, wildlife, and their habitats, provide access for a variety of uses such as hunting, fishing, and non-motorized recreation and fit one or more of the following criteria:

  • Contribute to the conservation of wetland or grassland habitats.
  • Increase connectivity to adjacent protected lands or important habitats to further build complexes of intact habitat.
  • Contribute to the conservation of habitats near urban settings to increase opportunities to connect people to nature.
  • Demonstrate resiliency to climate change and/or address stressors linked to climate change impacts.

Apply Here

Learn More

Please visit our FAQ Page to find useful tips and guidance for the online Survey Apply system. Please note that HCTF cannot accept applications submitted by email.

For questions related to the Habitat Acquisition Grant, please contact Barb von Sacken at bvonsacken@hctf.ca or 250-940-3013.

 

Wed, 15 Feb 2023
Tags: collaboration / Education / scholarship / t4w / together for wildlife / Wildlife

Announcing Together for Wildlife Scholarships!

HCTF in partnership with the First Nations-B.C. Wildlife & Habitat Conservation Forum and the Province of British Columbia are excited to announce the launch of the Together for Wildlife Scholarship program!

In 2020, the Province of British Columbia initiated a new provincial strategy called Together for Wildlife (T4W) which includes additional funding, proactive objectives, and improved data and knowledge, all supported by new policies, strong partnerships, and dedicated resources. The T4W strategy commits to 5 goals and 24 actions to achieve the following vision: “Wildlife and their habitats thrive, are resilient, and support and enrich the lives of all British Columbians”. Under the T4W Goal 2 – Data, information, and knowledge drive better decisions, Action 5 identifies improving support for scientific research, building stronger partnerships within research communities, and sharing results with British Columbian’s as key priorities.

To achieve this outcome, T4W is now offering up to ten $20,000 academic scholarships to Master’s and PhD candidates undertaking research that will support a positive impact on stewardship, management, policy, or decision making of wildlife in BC. These scholarships also aim to support reconciliation and collaboration, diversity of perspectives and building community capacity among Indigenous communities and rural areas of BC. We encourage Indigenous students to apply because of the perspectives they contribute through diversity, inclusion, and community capacity building.

The scholarships intend to support wildlife and wildlife habitat stewardship and management research in the following areas:

• Reconciliation & Collaboration
• Terrestrial Ecosystems
• Stewardship & Management (of terrestrial ecosystems, wildlife, and wildlife habitat)
• Wildlife & Wildlife Habitat

Applications must align with the goals of the Together for Wildlife strategy. Applicants must also engage and communicate results with respective communities impacted. For a more detailed description please visit the scholarship overview.

We encourage all eligible candidates to apply for the Together for Wildlife Scholarship program by May 15, 2023.

Through the Together for Wildlife Scholarships, we can work towards a future where wildlife and their habitats thrive, are resilient, and support and enrich the lives of all British Columbians!

Overview Sample Application Apply Now HCTF’s Scholarship Program