Wed, 21 Sep 2022

Now Accepting Conservation Grant Proposals for 2023-2024

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is now accepting applications for Enhancement/Restoration & Stewardship (ERS) grants, and Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF) grants. Applications must be submitted through HCTF’s online application system by 4:30pm on November 4th, 2022 (PST).

HCTF is not accepting New Stewardship proposals in Fall 2022 (Continuing and New Phase proposals will still be accepted). Our Stewardship grant is undergoing an update to better integrate with other HCTF grant programs. This will improve clarity and criteria for proponents as well as streamline the application process.

Please visit our FAQ page to find useful tips for the online Survey Apply system. Our updated 2023-24 ERS and CHRF Guidance documents are also available on the website.

Before beginning your application on the Survey Apply system, we strongly recommend that you complete your application on the Word worksheets posted on our website. Once completed you can copy-and-paste your answers into the online form. The worksheets also provide a useful overview of the questions and information requirements. Please note that HCTF cannot accept applications submitted by email.

Each year, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation provides approximately $6 million dollars in Enhancement and Restoration grants to help fund projects that support the conservation of British Columbia’s native freshwater fish, wildlife, and their habitats. Since the inception of our work in 1981, the Foundation and its predecessors have invested over $189 million in more than 2980 projects across BC.

HCTF continues to partner with the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) to meet shared conservation objectives through co-investments in conservation projects administered through HCTF. The CHRF program is made possible by contributions from both the BC Ministry of Land Water and Resource Stewardship and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

For questions related to Enhancement/Restoration and Stewardship grants, please contact Lisa Wielinga at Lisa.Wielinga@hctf.ca or 250-940-9781.

For questions related to CHRF, please contact Sophia Cuthbert at Sophia.Cuthbert@hctf.ca or 250-940-9789.

Tue, 20 Sep 2022

2022 Al Martin HCTF Conservation Fellowship Recipients Announced

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and HCTF Education are pleased to announce our 2022 recipients of the Al Martin HCTF Conservation Fellowship (AMCF): Siobhan Darlington & Megan Buers.

The AMCF awards $10,000 annually to two graduate students who are wishing to pursue a career in fish or wildlife management and conservation in British Columbia.

The award is named in honor of Al Martin, a lifelong conservation giant who passed away suddenly in 2019. Al had an influential career with the BC provincial government that spanned three decades in fish and wildlife management and habitat conservation. After his retirement in 2010, Al continued to be a leader in the conservation community as a Board Director with HCTF and Director of Strategic Initiatives with the BC Wildlife Federation.

More About Al

2022 Recipients:

Siobhan Darlington

Siobhan Darlington (she/her) is a PhD student in Biology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan working under the supervision of Dr. Adam Ford and Dr. Karen Hodges. AMCF funds will be used to support research for her thesis “The spatial ecology and foraging dynamics of cougar in the southern interior of British Columbia” as part of the Southern BC Cougar Project. In the future, Siobhan hopes to continue working with cougars and other wild felids to understand the dual impacts of climate change and human activity on their distributions and mitigate potential threats through policy, public outreach, and conservation work.

More About Siobhan

 

Megan Buers

Megan Buers is an MSc student at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus under the supervision of Dr. Karen Hodges. AMCF funds will be used to support her thesis “Are riparian areas thermal refugia for nocturnal forest birds in south central British Columbia?” which explores how habitat characteristics of riparian areas may act to provide shelter for wildlife during periods of high heat. In the future, Megan hopes to continue working with species at risk in British Columbia and, in particular, birds of prey. She will continue to advocate for more public outreach and education on habitats and how we can work to protect these habitats through the coming decades.

More About Megan

If you or someone you know may be interested in applying for the Al Martin HCTF Conservation Scholarship, check out the following links:

Applicant Info Apply Online

 

HCTF Scholarship Program

 

 

Wed, 7 Sep 2022

Now Accepting Land Stewardship Grant Applications for 2023- 2026

Volunteers establish native wildflowers in the Nuts’a’maat Forage Forest at the Millard Learning Centre, Galiano Island Photo Credit: Emily Francis

HCTF is now accepting applications for the Land Stewardship Grant (LSG). LSG grants are available to non-government (NGO), non-profit organizations who manage the conservation properties for which they are applying for funding. Applications must be submitted via email to bvonsacken@hctf.ca before 4:30pm (PST) on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.

Before beginning your application, we strongly recommend that you review the Grant Guidelines document. To view the guidelines document and download the associated word and excel application forms visit our website LSG apply.

Questions? Please contact Barb von Sacken bvonsacken@hctf.ca for further details.

 

Mon, 6 Jun 2022
Tags: Caribou / chrf

World Caribou Day

June 6th is World Caribou Day! (photo by Jean-Simon Begin)

Today marks the first annual World Caribou Day! Alongside the Caribou Conservation Breeding Foundation, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is celebrating this iconic Canadian species. Take the opportunity to learn about the threats facing caribou and the conservation works going on in British Columbia and across the world to protect the species for generations to come.

A few facts about Caribou! Caribou and Reindeer are two names for the same species and occupy arctic, sub-arctic, boreal, and sub-boral ecosystems across North America and Eurasia respectively. These groups are further separated into subspecies, with woodland caribou, Peary caribou, Porcupine caribou, and barren-ground caribou comprising the species spread across northern Canada. Caribou are the only species of deer in which both the male and female have antlers and they use these antlers to brush away snow as they search for food and to defend themselves. The species is supremely well adapted to cold climates, with a double-layered coat of fur, a hairy nose to minimize heat loss, large hooves that let them walk softly atop snow (like snowshoes), and which make clicking noises with each step which helps the herd stick together even when visibility is poor due to blizzards or thick fog. Caribou are herbivores and rely on grasses, leaves, mushrooms, and flowering plants in the summer, while during the winter their diet consists of lichen, small shrubs, and sedges. Caribou eat 9 to 18 lbs. of vegetation a day and herds may migrate over 1,000 kilometres in search of food and habitat. Barren-ground caribou have the longest migration of any land mammal on earth!

Caribou Info (by Caribou Conservation Breeding Program)

Caribou populations are declining globally and have sustained a 40% overall decline over the last 10-30 years. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUNC) lists the species as vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species. Within Canada, the conservation status is assessed for each caribou population, with many listed as threatened or endangered. Although caribou abundance naturally fluctuates, those natural cycles are being impacted by human-induced factors. Resource development, hydroelectric development, fire suppression, urban sprawl, and agriculture have fragmented and altered much of caribou habitat. While highways, roads, and cut lines further disrupt migration routes and create corridors that allow predators, such as wolves, to infiltrate caribou habitats more easily, increasing their vulnerability to predation. Climate change resulting in rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns and changes in wildfire ecology impact both caribou habitat quality and availability. Climate impacts also shift the distribution and viability of infectious pathogens and place caribou populations at risk of contracting novel diseases.

Project #5-346 – North Thompson Caribou Recovery Access Management Project

The Habitat Conservation Trust (HCTF) is supporting the restoration and conservation of British Columbia’s caribou populations through the Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF). The CHRF grant was set up for the purpose of restoring high-value habitat for caribou in British Columbia using functional and ecological restoration methods. To address factors such as urbanization, forestry, oil and gas, mining, and roadbuilding work, which altered caribou habitat, the CHRF funds projects that plant trees to restore areas to a pre-disturbed state, block former roads and other linear features such as seismic lines (corridors cleared of vegetation to assist oil and gas exploration) to reduce predator access and restore food sources such as lichen within protected caribou habitats.

Project #7-530 – Discussing road rehabilitation plans (photo by Kari Stuart-Smith)

Funding for the CHRF is provided by the British Columbian and federal governments with $8.5 million committed by the province in 2018 and an additional $5 million from the federal government pledged in 2021. Through the CHRF, HCTF is currently supporting 14 caribou habitat restoration projects across the province including the Mount Rochfort project, led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society in co-operation with Wildlife Infometrics and Canadian Forest Products Ltd. With the support of a $192,617 grant, habitat is being restored along a 156 km stretch of road in the Klinse-za caribou-herd area, adding about 7,865 hectares of habitat and contributing to a total of 26,322 hectares of connected caribou range. A full list of current CHRF-funded projects occurring across BC is available on the HCTF webpage.

Another project funded through the Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund and led by Tsay Keh Dene Nation-owned Chu Cho Environmental is the Chase Caribou Road Restoration Program. See the following videos detailing the habitat restoration project benefiting the Chase Caribou Range.

Mon, 25 Apr 2022

We Are Looking For A New HCTF Board Member

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) is looking for an experienced, dedicated, and knowledgeable individual with expertise in fish and wildlife management to join our Board of Directors. The Board is looking to broaden its collective experience by including Indigenous perspectives, increasing Board diversity and fisheries knowledge.

HCTF is a non-profit foundation administering a broad range of conservation funds and granting programs that benefit fish, wildlife, and their habitats in BC. HCTF has a long history of supporting important fish and wildlife projects in all regions of British Columbia. Since 1981, HCTF has invested over $206 million in over three thousand projects. Conservation surcharges on angling, hunting, trapping, and guide outfitting licences provide the primary source of revenue with additional funding sources including government contributions, court awards, and donations.

We are looking for a board member to be part of our Board of Directors to:

  • Establish strategic objectives and a performance management framework;
  • Establish priorities, consistent with the Trust’s purposes, to approve funding grants;
  • Ensuring accountability and that appropriate controls are in place regarding administrative, financial, and scientific/technical performance of the Trust;
  • Review funding opportunities, policy changes, and other opportunities that will further the objectives of the Trust;
  • When possible, promote Foundation and Trust activities at stakeholder events, media outlets, and other communications venues.

The HCTF Board of Directors is comprised of members appointed by the Minister overseeing the Wildlife Act, the British Columbia Wildlife Federation, the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia, the British Columbia Trappers Association, and up to seven additional ‘At-Large’ members. A Board member’s term of office is up to 3 years.

Full Job Description

Please submit a resume and cover letter to Dan Buffett (HCTF CEO) by 4:30 pm on June 6, for further inquiries, contact Dan Buffett by email at: dan.buffett@hctf.ca or by phone at: 250-940-9788

Mon, 25 Apr 2022

Wildlife and Fish Conservation Across British Columbia Receives $8.7 Million in Funding

This year, HCTF awarded $8.7 million in funding for over 150 individual conservation projects throughout British Columbia by supporting conservation groups, government, Indigenous Nations, and local communities to implement these projects.

2022-23 HCTF Project List

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) is a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to funding conservation projects that protect B.C.’s wildlife, freshwater fish, and the habitats they need to survive and thrive. Funding and support for these projects across the province come from a wide variety of sources including public groups such as the British Columbia Wildlife Federation (BCWF), partner organizations like the Forest Enhancement Society of BC, provincial government contributions, court fines, and endowments. A significant source of this funding comes from the conservation surcharge paid by B.C.’s anglers, hunters, trappers, and guide outfitters with the purchase of their respective licenses.

Project #0-466: BC Wild Sheep Conservation and Movi Control Program

While HCTF manages funds and administers many grants programs, HCTF’s CEO Dan Buffett remarks that “it is in collaboration with our partners that HCTF can generate funding and deliver projects that are key to conserving British Columbia’s fish, wildlife and their habitats”. Since 1981, HCTF has approved over $206 million on over 3550 conservation projects. Some of the projects funded this year include:

A habitat restoration project and an associated study funded for $346,000, which aims to enhance Moose forage, habitat, population in North-Central BC. Monitoring the short-term success and effectiveness of the forage enhancement techniques will inform habitat enhancement practices and moose conservation strategies going forward.

The Simpcw First Nation received $290,000 in funding for caribou habitat restoration through the naturalization of deactivated roads and vegetation planting within the overwintering range of the Well Grey South caribou herd. This habitat restoration will provide cover and reduce the impact of predator species and human activities on caribou.

$220,000 in funding was provided to Ducks Unlimited Canada to facilitate the Wetland Conservation Partnership Program. This program will restore and enhance wetland, river, and grassland habitats across the province. This will include rebuilding infrastructure supporting the 184 Mile and Mayook Marshes, benefiting freshwater fish, waterfowl, and other aquatic species in central British Columbia.

Project #2-754: At-Risk Birds of Prey Conservation on the South Coast

Project #2-754: At-Risk Birds of Prey Conservation on the South Coast

“We are proud to partner with HCTF and local experts on the ground throughout British Columbia to improve wildlife habitat,” said Steve Kozuki, executive director of FESBC. “HCTF combines wildlife biology expertise with their excellent management of funds to deliver outstanding benefits for wildlife. With all the pressures on the land base, the good work HCTF does is more important than ever.”

Project 1-694: Gold River Steelhead Stock Decline Investigations

Project 1-694: Gold River Steelhead Stock Decline Investigations

To see the complete list of HCTF-funded projects or explore the conservation work being done near you, view the 2022-23 Approved Project List.


For More Information:

Craig Doucette, Communications Officer
Direct: 250 940 3012 | Toll-free: 1 800 387 9853 ext. 212
craig.doucette@hctf.ca


HCTF Quick Facts

It is the mission of HCTF to improve the conservation outcomes of B.C.’s fish and wildlife, and the habitats in which they live. We make a difference by funding conservation projects and by educating and engaging the public about B.C.’s natural assets. 2021 marks HCTF’s 40th anniversary of helping conservation groups and individuals secure funding for conservation projects and providing education to the general public about B.C.’s important natural assets. Since 1981, HCTF has provided over $206 million in grants for 3,550 conservation projects across B.C.