The second and final call for 2013-14 PCAF applications is only a few weeks away. Applications must be received by 4:30pm on Sunday, September 15th to be considered for funding. Please ensure you review all of the information on our PCAF application page, as there have been some changes to both the application form and guidelines. Questions about PCAF or the application process? Contact us.
As summer draws to a close, so does the lake-based 2013 Learn to Fish program. There are still a few opportunities to take part in one of these hands-on instructional sessions, designed to get new anglers of all ages fishing with confidence.
In these sessions, participants learn to identify local fish species, set up tackle, how to cast, safe fish handling, and more. FFSBC runs the program year round from their visitor centre at the Fraser Valley Trout Hatchery in Abbotsford. Happy angling!
HCTF has been a major funder of the Learn to Fish program since 2007. Last year, over 25,000 youth took part in one of 800 sessions offered in locations across BC.
Since 1981, HCTF has contributed over $20 Million dollars to the acquisition of conservation lands. These investments have helped to secure close to 140 properties, or approximately 23,000 hectares of valuable habitat in nearly every region of BC. You can view the locations of these properties on our new HCTF Conservation Land Acquisition Map.
View HCTF Conservation Land Acquisitions in a larger map
We received a great update on the HCTF-funded Western Bluebird Reintroduction Project. It seems July has seen a number of hatchings, including the second clutches of 2013 for two of the re-introduced pairs! The spring hatchlings are now fully-fledged juveniles and are doing great: they can now hunt for wild insects on their own, and will likely help their parents with the feeding of their newly-arrived siblings. GOERT’s Julia Daly and Species-at-Risk biologist Trudy Chatwin estimate that there are over 38 Western Bluebirds flying about the Cowichan Valley these days, which includes all the juveniles and nesting parents.
Thanks to GOERT for supplying the following photos to show us how the birds are doing.
![1-536-bluebird-juveniles-feeding-station.jpg](https://hctf.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/1-536-bluebird-juveniles-feeding-station.jpg "Juveniles bluebirds, now 6.5 weeks old, are now able to hunt insects on their own, but still enjoy a once-a-day supplement of mealworms. These "teenagers" from the first clutch will likely help their parents feed their newly-hatched younger siblings.")
In late June, the HCTF Board visited Vanderhoof for some on-the-ground experience with a range of HCTF-funded projects.
The morning began with a regional orientation by Wayne Salewski and a presentation by Ray Pillipow on the Nechako River Bull Trout Project, wherein radio tagging is being used to evaluate the potential for bull trout retention in a variety of watersheds.
The first field stop was the recently-restored teaching wetland beside WL McLeod Elementary school, where we learned about the many educational programs conducted on-site. Next, we visited the busy construction site of the Nechako White Sturgeon hatchery. MFLNRO’s Cory Williamson led the tour, and also gave a presentation on the latest Nechako River sturgeon recovery plans.
The afternoon included a visit to the Murray Creek demonstration site, which provides a working example of the advantages of integrating water stewardship with agricultural practices.
Many thanks go out to Wayne both for organizing the tour. Thanks also to the Vanderhoof Fish and Game Club who, together with Wayne and his wife Lori, hosted a great end-of-day barbecue on the banks of the Nechako River.
The HCTF Board meets three times a year: two of those meetings are held in locations across BC to allow HCTF Board members to meet with project leaders and get an up-close look at HCTF projects. The next meeting is scheduled to take place in Osoyoos.
An HCTF Silver Award was presented to the Vancouver Island Urban Lakes Fisheries Development Program this week in recognition of its efforts to increase angler participation by improving fishing infrastructure at lakes near urban centres.
Scott Silvestri of MFLRNO leads the project, which has already received over $75,000 in grants from HCTF, with another $54,000 committed for 2013-14. By bringing together local governments, granting organizations and fish & game clubs, Scott and his team have made great strides in improving access to a number of fishing locations around the island while keeping costs to a minimum.
The Urban Lakes project is currently in its third and final year of funding. Infrastructure projects already complete include:
• Newly-constructed fishing floats, ramps and trails at Durrance Lake, Diver Lake and Westwood Lake.
• New fishing floats at Fuller Lake and Mayo Lake.
• Repairs to the walkway of the fishing float at Chemainus Lake.
• Development of a car-top boat launch for Quennell Lake.
• Improvements to the boat launch at Spider Lake.
Click here to view the locations of these projects on a map.
A number of potential infrastructure projects have been identified for 2013-14 . These include:
• Construction of wheelchair-accessible fishing dock at Blinkhorn Lake.
• Construction of fishing floats at Colwood Lake and Thetis Lake.
• Creation of boat launchs and fishing docks at Prospect Lake and Echo Lake.
Observations of increased angler use at sites where infrastructure work is complete suggest that the upgrades and additions are working: by making fishing more accessible, this project not only has the potential to inspire new groups of conservationists through participation in angling, but also increase funding for fish enhancement and restoration projects through additional licence sales.
In addition to this award from HCTF, the Vancouver Island Urban Lakes Fisheries Development Program has also been named a regional finalist in the BC Premier’s Innovation and Excellence Awards. The awards, which will be handed out in September, recognize exceptional work by B.C. public service employees and teams whose contributions have made a positive difference in the province. Congratulations, Scott, on your nomination: hopefully you’ll have another plaque to accompany your Silver Award in the fall.
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