Mon, 16 Sep 2024
Tags: F&W / Habitat / Stewardship / Wildlife

Restoring Black Cottonwood Forests of the Kettle River

3-year-old cottonwoods growing amongst highly competitive reed canary grass - Barb Stewart

HCTF is proud to commit over $1.3 million in funding for wildlife conservation and conservation stewardship projects in the Kootenay Boundary region this year.

Among this year’s projects in the region is a multi-year project working to conserve the rare black cottonwood forests of the Kettle River. The riparian ecosystems (which help connect land to water and provide fish habitat in B.C.) are home to several species at risk and The Granby Wilderness Society has undertaken restoration work for several years to improve habitat. This year the Society is increasing its stewardship efforts by working with landowners to identify habitat concerns and assist with additional restoration efforts: “The biggest project successes are meeting landowners that have healthy riparian areas and are good stewards. Private lands play such an important role in conservation,” said project leader Jenny Coleshill.

A site planted with rooted stock on the Kettle River north of Rock Creek – Barb Stewart

The project is being supported by the HCTF and the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) with $30,480 in co-funding this year.

”HCTF and FESBC believe in the power of a partnership; just like the Granby Wilderness Society, local governments, and landowners who are working together to enhance riparian areas along the river,” said Dan Buffett, CEO of HCTF. “Establishing healthy riparian black cottonwood stands along the Kettle River supports our rivers as they are dynamic systems shifting between flood and drought states. A healthy riparian zone lessens flooding and drought impacts, improves water quality, and supports a more diverse and abundant population of aquatic and terrestrial species along with their habitats.”

Other HCTF-funded projects taking place in the Kootenays include:

  • $130,500 for a River Guardian program in eight Kootenay region watersheds to maintain or improve angling quality and protect our native freshwater fish populations.
  • $83,830 to enhance 112 hectares of elk winter range in the Upper Kicking Horse Canyon through thinning of immature forest to promote forage growth and allow ease of elk movement.
  • $70,150 to restore habitat on approximately 105 km of roads within the Columbia North herd of the Southern Mountain Caribou ecotype.
  • $38,222 for improving the basking log habitat for the blue-listed (Indigenous species which are vulnerable to the region) Western Painted Turtle on Erie Lake.
  • $50,000 for the 2024 Wetlands Institute in the East Kootenays, a seven-day workshop that provides practitioners with the tools and knowledge to initiate wetland stewardship projects.

2023 Wetlands Institute Restoration Design – Jamie Long

Tue, 9 Jul 2024
Tags: Community / News / Stewardship

$650k for Conservation Stewardship Grants

2022 Wetlands Institute participants refencing North Jubilee wetland as it expands outward - BCWF

HCTF has recently approved over $650k in funding for 42 conservation stewardship projects in BC.

Included in the funding are projects under HCTF’s stewardship grant umbrella: Action, Capacity, and Community Grants.

Newly launched Action Grants support projects that directly involve people and communities to change behaviours and/or practices leading to positive and measurable conservation outcomes in British Columbia.

Projects include:

  • $50,000 for the 2024 Wetlands Institute, a 7-day workshop providing necessary tools and knowledge for practitioners to initiate wetland stewardship projects across B.C.
  • $25,000 to connect a community of rural landowners and community partners with skills and resources to improve water quality and aquatic habitats in the Langley area
  • $50,000 to support a landholder engagement program to share cultural teachings and ways of knowing about Xpey’ (cedar) and relationships with the land, and inspire a range of restoration and management actions

Capacity Grants, now in their second year, provide funding to build and strengthen the capability and capacity of organizations to successfully design and deliver conservation or restoration projects.

Projects include:

  • $20,000 to support the development of an Indigenous-led conservation and protection project on Sumas Mountain on the traditional territory of the Semá:th people
  • $24,630 to train and provide experience to Kitselas First Nation members in conducting site assessments for restoration work within the Telkwa caribou herd range
    • This project is funded by the Province of BC and Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) through the Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF)
  • $10,000 to create an in-depth management plan to guide moose management in the Chilcotin

    Volunteers supporting the Metchosin Parks Holly Eradication Project

Community Grants, formerly the Public Conservation Assistance Fund (PCAF), provide funding to organizations and individuals who need financial help to implement a conservation project with a particular focus on volunteer involvement.

Projects include:

  • $10,000 to improve the recovery of native vegetation and enhance breeding habitat for waterfowl and songbirds on Galiano Island through planting of native species and installation of nest boxes
  • $9,700 to restore vital tidal marsh habitats in View Royal Park through eco-cultural fencing, the creation of tidal channels, and replenishing marsh banks
  • $8,120 for a “Nature is for Everyone” program welcoming those who are currently under-represented in the environment restoration movement, and encouraging families to improve habitat while connecting with nature

See the list of all 2024 HCTF-funded stewardship projects here (PDF download).

Thu, 24 Mar 2022

Project Profile: Yellow Flag Iris, Enabling Stewardship and Habitat Conservation through Technology Transfer

Yellow Flag Iris on the Waterfront

Scanning the edge of wetlands, streams, lake shorelines, and shallow ponds you may notice a plant with dark green sword-like leaves and beautiful yellow flowers. But underneath the spring blooms and rich foliage Yellow Flag Iris forms an extensive thick mat of interconnected roots (rhizomes) which damage wildlife habitat, reduce water flow, and crowd out native vegetation. The plant is also poisonous to livestock if ingested and causes skin irritation in humans. It can be found in the lower mainland of BC and Vancouver Island, extending to the Southern Interior of BC through to North Thompson, Shuswap, Central Cariboo, into Similkameen Valley and Christina Lake as well as in the West Kootenays.

First introduced to North America in the 1800’s as an ornamental plant, like many invasive species this noxious weed reproduces quickly through seed dispersal, in addition to fragmentation of its horizontal root system. Seed pods can remain afloat for extended periods and may spread long distances through watercourses. The plant may take many years to (3-5) to produce the signature yellow flowers, so identification by leaves is important.

So how can this aggressive invasive species be managed? In 2020, HCTF began funding a project to provide education and training on the treatment and eradication of Yellow Flag Iris. Dr. Catherine Tarasoff of Agrowest Consulting has found that successful treatment of Yellow Flag Iris can be achieved with benthic barriers (aquatic barriers) and deep water cutting; however, land managers and stewards need to be properly trained in this method or Yellow Flag Iris will persist. Dr. Tarasoff set out to do just that; train stewards through the delivery of hands-on workshops across the province to put the tools in the hands of those closest to the problem.

Those that attended the workshops learned all about the plants’ ecology, to better understand the effectiveness of treatment. Yellow Flag Iris have large carbohydrate-rich rhizomes allowing them to feed off energy stores, even in less than ideal conditions. When Yellow Flag Iris is growing in an upland terrestrial site, it uses aerobic respiration in the presence of oxygen to generate energy; however, in saturated aquatic habitats (where it is mostly found in BC), anaerobic respiration is utilized, and the byproduct is toxic gases released from the leaves. When the leaves are clipped and removed and the patch is covered in a benthic barrier, the plant continues to use up food resources from its rhizomes and expels toxic gases which cannot escape. Under the covering, the gases emitted from the plant bounce around like free radicals further destroying the plant and speeding up the process of eradication.

Despite challenges with COVID-19, the team has trained 174 participants through 19 workshops in the southern portion of the province. These participants went on to train several more staff and/or volunteers and treated approximately 3,900 m sq of Yellow Flag Iris! The team also made a short series of educational videos to help reinforce the information learned in the workshops.

Short Instructional Video Gallery

Dr. Tarasoff has found through trial and error, it is recommended to treat smaller areas thoroughly, rather than tackling large areas less intensively. With proper application of the benthic barrier, enough time (at least a full year), and proper monitoring of rhizomes, treatment success is very high, and native plants will begin to colonize the treated area from dormant bulbs, rhizomes, and tubers.

The team plans to continue delivery of their workshops across the province to train more local land managers and stewards on this method for management of yellow flag iris so they too, in turn, can educate and train others. This is a great example of how local expertise can be shared province-wide to create stewards with the knowledge and tools to tackle this invasive species and improve habitat for fish and wildlife in their own backyards.

Other funding partners include Wildlife Habitat Canada.

Wed, 15 Sep 2021

Now Accepting Conservation Grant Proposals for 2022-2023

Project #3-419 - Fraser River Bighorns Capture Disease Assessment and Herd Recovery

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 5th, 2021 (PST).

Please visit our FAQ page to find useful tips and guidance for the online Survey Apply system.

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 (updated worksheets for the 2022-23 grant year are now posted). 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 $195 million in more than 3230 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.

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 Karen Berry at Karen.Berry@hctf.ca or 250-940-9785

Wed, 11 Mar 2020

2020-21 Preliminary List of Approved Projects

Field research on mule deer in Southern BC (Project 8-408)

A preliminary list of HCTF approved projects for 2020-21 is now available.

Download the 2020-21 Preliminary Approved Projects List

Projects included on this preliminary list have been approved in principle but may have reduced budgets or funding conditions. Over the next few weeks, 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).

Proponents of approved projects will receive a Conditional Grant Agreement by mail. 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 2020 (Deadline: Friday November 6, 2020).

How are Grant Applications Reviewed?

Each proposal goes through a multi-level, objective technical review process prior to final Board decisions. Proposals are assessed by a primary reviewer and evaluated by a technical committee prior to being sent to the HCTF Board for final funding decisions. For more information on what these reviewers look for when evaluating a proposal, see https://hctf.ca/grants/enhancement-grants/#review

Tue, 3 Dec 2019
Tags: Conservation Lands O&M / Fish & Wildlife / Stewardship

Fall Site Visits: Stewardship, Sheep and Salmonids

Staff visit to Salmon River Estuary Conservation Area; Jade Neilson, Karen Wipond, Tom Reid, Christina Waddle, Shawn Lukas (from left to right)

HCTF staff enjoyed some time out in the field this fall with visits to project sites around the province. Each year, HCTF undertakes project evaluations on a sample of projects to conduct a financial review, and to ensure conservation objectives are being met.

The first evaluation took place in September with the Nature Kids program, a Stewardship project which aims to engage children and their families with nature through hands-on learning, stewardship activities and citizen science projects. HCTF staff visited the program’s office in North Vancouver and one of the weekend events in Greater Victoria called “Hawkwatch”.

The Raptors live demonstration at Hawkwatch.

In October, staff travelled to the Kootenays and visited 2 project sites with Irene Teske, Wildlife Biologist with the Ministry of Forest, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNR). Staff got a first-hand look at areas being treated to control invasive plants such as Yellow Hawkweed and St. John’s Wort at Bull River and Wigwam Flats, both conservation areas in the East Kootenay region. For this project, HCTF Special Permits (Wild Sheep) funding is being used to restore native grasslands to improve winter forage for Bighorn Sheep.

2008 photo of the Bull River bighorn herd. Beginning in 2009, wildlife managers noticed a rapid spread of yellow hawkweed and other invasive plant species in this herd’s winter range.

The next visit was to a very different landscape on the east coast of Vancouver Island. HCTF visited three sites funded under the Conservation Lands Operations and Management (O&M) Funding Program: S’amanu Wildlife Management Area (WMA), Nanaimo River Estuary Conservation Area, and the Salmon River Estuary Conservation Area. This program provides $550,000 annually to FLNR for O&M costs on ministry-administered conservation lands across the province including lands leased from the Nature Trust of BC. Funding for this program is provided primarily through endowment funds provided to HCTF from the Province of BC.

HCTF staff and the FLNR Conservation Lands Specialist Karen Wipond received a tour hosted by the West Coast Conservation Land Management Program (WCCLMP) staff Tom Reid and Shawn Lukas, demonstrating how HCTF O&M funding is being used to maintain conservation values at the selected properties.

At the S’amanu WMA, we viewed and discussed the restoration work and new interpretive signage at Ye’yumnuts, a sacred ancestral place of the Cowichan people. We also discussed invasive species management supporting species at risk on the site, and agricultural activities to enhance forage for wintering waterfowl.

After leaving S’amanu, we travelled north to the Nanaimo Estuary, the largest estuary on Vancouver Island, with riparian, marsh, and intertidal ecosystems including eelgrass beds, supporting thousands of over-wintering birds and juvenile salmonids. We viewed some restoration work in action while program staff and partners tested nets in the estuary to monitor juvenile salmonids in the coming spring. HCTF funding is also being used to develop improved elevation and vegetation mapping in the estuary which will help support management decisions and plan future restoration and enhancement projects.

Nanaimo Estuary including split rail fencing used to control access and direct visitors.

The third site we visited with WCCLMP staff was the Salmon River Estuary Conservation Area near the Village of Sayward. An HCTF Enhancement and Restoration Grant was used for habitat enhancement work for Roosevelt Elk and other species on the property purchased in 2015, the acquisition of which was also supported by HCTF. This restoration project included thinning the alder forest and planting to improve forage for Roosevelt elk, removing Scotch Broom and replanting with native species, and creating shallow wetland habitat with wood structures to improve habitat for amphibians.

Enhanced wetland habitat at the Salmon River Estuary Conservation Area.

HCTF staff appreciated the opportunity to see the great work funded across the province. The HCTF evaluation process provides an additional check and balance in addition to our rigorous proposal review process to ensure conservation objectives are realized and we see a positive difference for fish and wildlife and their habitats, as intended by our various contributors.