Caribou

The next intake for Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF) grant applications will open in September 2023. The deadline to apply for 2024-25 funding is November 3, 2023 at 4:30pm (PT).

Please note: CHRF funding is specifically for projects actively restoring caribou habitat in BC. If you are seeking funding for another type of caribou project, please see our Enhancement and Restoration grant page or email chrf@hctf.ca for clarification.

CHRF Application Process

Please read through all of the following information before beginning your application. Even if you’ve completed a CHRF application before, there are some changes to the process and forms for this cycle.

1) Ensure you’ve read and understand all of the information in the “Overview” tab.

2) Download the version of the 2022-23 CHRF Proposal Writing Instructions & Worksheet Word document that’s appropriate for your project.

Projects that have never received CHRF funding before should use the version for “New Projects“.
Projects that have received CHRF funding before should use the version for “Continuing Projects“.
Both types of projects will use the same form in the online application system, but will be presented with different question sets depending on whether they are “New” or “Continuing”.

You aren’t required to submit copies of the worksheets with your proposal and can compose your answers directly in the online form if you prefer. However, we do ask that you read all of the instructions in the Word documents as they provide additional detail to those provided in the online form.

Scroll to the bottom of the page to learn how your application will be assessed, and keep this in mind as you plan your proposal.

CHRF Proposal Writing Instructions & Worksheet for NEW projects

CHRF Proposal Writing Instructions & Worksheet for CONTINUING projects

3) Download the 2022-23 CHRF Activity & Budget Detail Spreadsheet, Instructions, and Sample.

The Excel spreadsheet is where you’ll provide details on your proposed activities, their expected outcomes, and the amount of money you are requesting from HCTF. Please review the instructions and sample document before filling out this spreadsheet. You will upload the completed spreadsheet in the online application system.

CHRF Activity & Budget Detail Spreadsheet

4) Read the Instructions for Preparing your Map, Shapefiles and Other Supporting Documents

As part of your application, you will need to submit a map and shapefile. Please download and review the instructions below.

Instructions for Maps, Shapefiles and Other Supporting Documents

5) Read our FAQs for instructions on using the online application system to submit your proposal.

Survey Apply FAQ

6) Complete and submit your application using Survey Apply.

Please note that all applications must be submitted online using Survey Apply. HCTF cannot accept applications by email.

Apply Online

Additional Considerations:

• Proposed activities must not be part of an existing statutory/legal obligation.
• If a feature is currently under disposition (e.g. a tenured or permitted road), it is the applicant’s responsibility to obtain agreement from the tenure/permit holder to undertake restoration activities.
• Implementation of proposed treatments should not result in additional habitat disturbance.
• Mitigation must be undertaken to minimize the environmental impact of treatments, such as archaeological resources, watercourse crossings, minimizing impacts on other Species at Risk, etc. It is the proponent’s responsibility to ensure appropriate permitting and authorizations are in place.
• Collaboration between the applicant and the affected regions (i.e. biologist contacts) must occur (concept to delivery) when the proposed project spans regional boundaries.

How will proposals be evaluated?

Applications received by the deadline will be evaluated by a technical review committee composed of caribou habitat restoration experts and the HCTF Board of Directors. Click the tab below to display a list of typical evaluation criteria considered in the review of CHRF applications.

• Evaluation Criteria

  • Do the activities address impacts to caribou habitat from anthropogenic causes?
  • Do the proposed activities support caribou habitat restoration only?
  • Are the proposed activities eligible for funding as specified in the Eligible Activities list for this program?
  • Will the restoration activities benefit high- or medium-priority caribou herds as identified by the Province for this cycle?
  • Will the activities contribute to areas of intact habitat or recent/planned restoration?
  • Is the scope of restoration activities sufficient to result in significant habitat gains for caribou?
  • Are the proposed restoration sites accessible and available for restoration?
  • Are the works sufficiently described to ascertain whether they will specifically address impacts to caribou habitat from anthropogenic causes?
  • Are the appropriate methods being recommended to achieve the desired results?
  • Is the site unlikely to regenerate naturally within a timeframe adequate for caribou conservation?
  • What is the risk that the resulting habitat benefits of this work will be negated by future disturbance?
  • Does the proposal describe implications for or effects on other species?
  • Are the project’s objectives reasonable within the given timeframe?
  • Are the costs for activities reasonable?
  • What permits/authorizations are required for this work? Are plans in place to obtain these permits and authorizations?
  • Are the proposed activities part of a multi-year project that is already underway? If yes, have the results of that work been positive thus far?
  • Is the organization submitting the proposal capable of delivering the project?
  • Does the proposal have First Nations involvement?
  • Does the project have partner/co-funding support?
  • Does the proposal describe probable public support or opposition to the activities?
  • Does the proposal identify practical, specific, measurable indicators of success and a plan for monitoring results?
  • Does the proposal include baseline data (or a plan to collect baseline data) that will allow for measurement of results?

  The HCTF Board of Directors will review the recommendations of the technical review committee and make final funding decisions in March. Proponents will be notified about the status of their proposals shortly thereafter.

What happens next?

• Conditional Grant Agreement

  Conditional Grant Agreement

  Proposed project activities can begin on April 1^st of the year in which they are approved. If a proposal is approved subject to funding condition, that funding condition must be met prior to commencing any work. Note that HCTF funds multi-year projects one year at a time – if you would like funding for future years of a project, you must submit a continuing application each year.

  Each fiscal year’s project activities must be complete by March 31^st. Grant Reports are due annually on April 15^th. Please note that your project final approval is subject to you (or your organization) entering into a Conditional Grant Agreement with HCTF.

  You can preview the agreement template here. This year, HCTF has changed how we administer Conditional Grant Agreements. Approved non-government project leaders will need to log in to Survey Apply and follow these instructions for downloading, signing, and uploading their agreements and other documents.

  Please read your Conditional Grant Agreement carefully, as HCTF has made significant changes to the agreement language this year. Ensure you obtain all internal approvals from your organization before returning the signed copy to HCTF. Questions? Please contact our Finance Officer.

  Insurance Requirements: It is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that your organization is carrying the correct insurance to deliver the project and to budget for your insurance costs accordingly in your proposal. Please note, project leaders are no longer required to provide HCTF with a Certificate of Insurance for General Liability (CGL).

  Note that Provincial Government project leaders are not required to complete the Survey Apply steps above, as the Conditional Grant Agreement is signed directly with headquarters for each Ministry. Government project leaders can familiarize themselves with the requirements of the agreement at the link above and are also encouraged to request and review their specific agreement from headquarters.

Questions?

Questions about the application process can be emailed to chrf@hctf.ca.

The next intake for Seed Grants within the Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF) will open in September 2023. The deadline to apply for 2024-25 funding is November 3, 2023 at 4:30pm (PT).

What can seed grants be used for?

Eligible activities for seed grants are restricted to those necessary to prepare a full CHRF proposal. For example, hiring a contractor with expertise in restoration of caribou habitat to help gather and prepare the information for a full application, or costs for some stakeholder engagement. We suggest referring to the “CHRF Proposal Writing Instructions & Worksheet for New Projects” on the “Apply” tab of the CHRF webpage to understand what a full application requires.

How much money can a seed grant application request?

Applicants can request up to $10,000 for the development of a full, technically sound proposal for a new caribou habitat restoration project. The goal of this pilot is to help groups that have identified and want to restore anthropogenic disturbances in high-value caribou habitat, but require some assistance with preparing a full proposal that meets the technical requirements of a full CHRF grant proposal.

Ineligible Activities
Seed grants are for preparation of a full CHRF proposal. They are not for small habitat restoration projects. As such, any on-the-ground restoration or monitoring work is ineligible for seed funding. You can request funding for these activities by submitting a full CHRF application: see the “Apply” tab of the CHRF webpage for details.

• Ineligible Seed Grant Activities

  Please note that the following activities are ineligible for funding in either seed or full CHRF proposals:

  • High-level landscape or range plans, including planning strategic coordination and prioritization of restoration efforts (development of restoration plans/site prescriptions for areas identified as being high priority for caribou habitat restoration by the Province are eligible for full CHRF grants)
  • Archeological assessments
  • Rehabilitation, captive breeding, feeding or control of wildlife species
  • Maternal penning
  • Law enforcement activities and general patrols
  • Regulatory signage or information projects on regulations
  • Training costs for contractors
  • Mapping projects that are not essential to site-specific caribou habitat restoration activities
  • Salaries for regular government employees
  • Development or production of hunting, tour, or curriculum guidebooks or publication materials
  • Conferences, lecture series, or conventions
  • Production or sponsorship of commercial programs
  • Organizational fundraising
  • Creation or management of electronic databases, websites or file systems
  • Insurance costs
  • Legal fees
  • Capital Assets (item per unit over $1000)
  • Activities to fulfil statutory or legal requirements

CHRF Seed Grant Application Process

Step 1: Download the 2024-25 CHRF Instructions and Worksheet for Seed projects.

You aren’t required to submit copies of the worksheets with your proposal and can compose your answers directly in the online form if you prefer. However, we do ask that you read all of the instructions in the Word documents as they provide additional detail to those provided in the online form.

CHRF Seed Grant Worksheet

Step 2: Download and complete the 2024-25 CHRF Seed Grant Budget Detail Spreadsheet

The Excel spreadsheet is where you’ll provide details on your proposed activities for 2022-23 and the amount of money you are requesting from HCTF (up to a max of $10,000 for seed). Please review the instructions on the second tab in the budget workbook on how to fill out the partnership funding section before filling out the budget spreadsheet. You will upload the completed spreadsheet in the online application system.

CHRF Seed Grant Budget Spreadsheet

Step 3: Read the Instructions for Preparing your Map or Other Supporting Documents

As part of your application, you will need to submit a map and shapefile. Please download and review the instructions below.

Instructions for Maps and Other Supporting Documents

Step 4: Read our FAQs for instructions on using the online application system to submit your proposal.

Survey Apply FAQs

Step 5: Complete and submit your application using Survey Apply.

Please note that all applications must be submitted online using Survey Apply. HCTF cannot accept applications by email.

Apply Online

The deadline for submitting your proposal is 4:30 PM PDT on Friday, November 3, 2023.

Questions?

Questions about the application process can be emailed to chrf@hctf.ca.

Please find a list of available resources below for reference during application and management of your project(s).

Discussion with Regional Caribou Biologist

As part of the CHRF application process (see “Application” tab), applicants must discuss their project with the BC government caribou biologist for the region where the project will take place. These individuals will be able to (1) confirm whether caribou restoration plans are available within the region to further inform proposals, and (2) to confirm the caribou, predator and other region-specific information. A map image showing the regions in BC (utilized below) can be found here: BC LEH Regional Map.

• Regional Biologists

  Region	Government Biologist Name	Email	Phone
  North East	Scott Schilds	scott.schilds@gov.bc.ca	250-261-2054
  Skeena	Mark Wong	Mark.Wong@gov.bc.ca	250-876-7106
  Omineca	Barb Anderson	Barbara.Anderson@gov.bc.ca	778-693-3202
  Kootenays	Aaron Reid	Aaron.Reid@gov.bc.ca	250-354-6392
  Thompson-Okanagan	Bevan Ernst	Bevan.Ernst@gov.bc.ca	250-371-6273
  Cariboo-Chilcotin	Carolyn Shores	Carolyn.Shores@gov.bc.ca	250-302-3507

  Please Note: If you plan to conduct a habitat restoration project for the Quintette herd please contact the regional biologist in the North East for readily available resources related to treatment prescriptions.

Operational Framework

The Province has developed an Operational Framework for Woodland Caribou Habitat Restoration in British Columbia to provide guidance for the planning, implementation, and monitoring of caribou habitat restoration initiatives in BC. Please review this document prior to beginning an application.

Project Monitoring

HCTF has created a CHRF project monitoring guidance document for proponents to assist with planning this component of your project. This document has been updated for the 2022-24 cycle, including some changes to guidance around use of remote cameras for monitoring wildlife response, so please review even if you have read previous versions of the document.

The Province has published the Wildlife Camera Metadata Protocol, Standards for Components of British Columbia’s Biodiversity No. 44., September, 2019. The objective of this wildlife camera metadata protocol is to provide guidance on the types of data that should be collected when using remote cameras (sometimes also referred to as camera traps) to detect wildlife. The over-arching goal of the protocol is to support the creation of a consistent, consolidated wildlife camera dataset across British Columbia. This protocol does not provide specific guidance on wildlife camera monitoring or research designs.

Workshop Resources

October 2022 Restoration Monitoring Workshop (Zoom)

CHRF Monitoring Workshop Guidance Document

June 2022 Restoration Methods Workshop (Hybrid, Prince George, BC)

CHRF Restoration Methods Workshop Notes

Priority Herds

In determining high and medium priorities for restoration, the Province considers the following factors: designatable unit, federal and BC listing, herd status, level of industrial exploration and development, other recovery actions already occurring within the range (e.g. habitat protection), existing government direction (e.g., existing strategic or tactical plan that identifies restoration as a priority). For the 2023-24 funding cycle, applicants are required to focus on these high or medium priority herd ranges to maximize benefits to caribou and caribou habitat.

• Priority Herds

  High-priority herds for habitat restoration projects:

  Barkerville
  Klinse-Za (Moberly) (see South Peace Tactical Restoration Plan)
  Narraway (see South Peace Tactical Restoration Plan)
  Narrow Lake
  North Cariboo
  Quintette (see Quintette Restoration Plan and South Peace Tactical Restoration Plan)
  Scott (see South Peace Tactical Restoration Plan)
  Telkwa (see Telkwa Tactical Restoration Plan)
  Wells Gray North

  Please Note: If you plan to conduct a habitat restoration project for the Quintette herd please contact the regional biologist for readily available resources related to treatment prescriptions.

  Medium-priority herds for habitat restoration projects:

  Burnt Pine (see South Peace Tactical Restoration Plan)
  Calendar
  Central Selkirks (Nakusp and Duncan)
  Charlotte Alplands
  Chase
  Chinchaga
  Columbia North
  Graham (see South Peace Tactical Restoration Plan)
  Groundhog
  Hart Ranges
  Itcha-Ilgachuz
  Kennedy Siding
  Maxhamish
  Muskwa
  Pink Mountain
  Rainbows
  Snake-Sahtahneh
  Takla
  Tweedsmuir – Entiako (see TEC Tactical Restoration Plan)
  Wells Gray South
  Westside (formally Prophet and Parker)
  Wolverine

The next deadline for submitting grant reports is April 14th, 2023. All Project Leaders with approved grants from 2021-22 onward need to complete their grant reports in our online Survey Apply system. Reporting requirements remain relatively consistent from previous years with a new simplified and easy-to-use structure.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

We encourage all Project Leaders to read the Reporting FAQs before beginning their reports.

Reporting FAQ

Survey Apply System

Complete Grant Report Online

Please email chrf@hctf.ca for assistance with questions not covered in the general reporting FAQs.

Reporting Requirements

• Why do we have reports?

  As a trust of public funds, HCTF has a number of requirements to ensure accountability and due diligence of trust funds. We have a responsibility to ensure that funds are invested in activities and projects that contribute to conservation of fish, wildlife, and habitat in BC. As a public foundation, HCTF is required to prepare annual financial statements which undergo a thorough audit process. Grant reports help ensure funds were utilized in accordance with the purposes of the trust, which is a requirement for HCTF’s audit.

  Specifically, grant reports allow HCTF to evaluate:

  • compliance with the proposal (that the funds were used for the activities and goals for which they were intended) and
  • conservation outcomes (or reasonable progress towards them).

• Report Submission

  Consistent with HCTF’s operating cycle and with the end date of most conditional grant agreements, projects must be completed by March 31st. Subsequent grant reports are due April 15^th.

  HCTF has recently launched a new online reporting system. All Project Leaders with approved 2021-22 grants onwards are required to submit their grant reports in Survey Apply, the same system that was used for proposal submission Reports in older formats or reports that come in by email submission will not be accepted.

  Project Leaders with active projects from 2020-21 and prior (before Survey Apply was implemented) will submit using the previous report forms and processes. These Project Leaders (and those with approved contract extensions) will have received an email from HCTF with reporting instructions and forms. If you did not receive this email, or if you have any questions, please contact reporting@hctf.ca.

Reporting Templates

CHRF 2022-2023 Report Worksheet

Current grant reports for 2021-22 onward: Please note you now need to complete and submit the grant report form online (link to online system) and will need to upload the new separate excel budget spreadsheet with this online submission. Please utilize the template above as a worksheet to cut and paste answers into the Survey Apply system, if preferred.

Outstanding grant reports from before 2020-21: If you had a contract extension or still need to submit an outstanding report, please contact us at reporting@hctf.ca for a copy of the 2020-21 grant report template.

• Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund (CHRF) Budget Worksheets

   

  Individual report budget spreadsheets are emailed directly to proponents. These spreadsheets are to be filled in and uploaded in the online system, along with the grant report form. Please email chrf@hctf.ca if you have not received an email, or have any issues with the spreadsheet.

  If you had a contract extension or an outstanding report from before 2020-21, please contact us if you need a copy of the previous report template.

 

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Other Attachments

• Technical Reports

  Technical reports detailing methods, data collected, and results analysis are required for all CHRF projects. Ideally we would like to receive the annual technical report as an attachment at the time of the grant report submission by utilizing the “additional documents” upload function. But we understand annual technical reports may take more time to complete following the March 31, 2023 field end date, and so reports can also be emailed directly to chrf@hctf.ca within a reasonable time frame following the April 15th grant report deadline.

• Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

  Some projects may produce information that will be published in a peer-review journal. These articles do not constitute a final report, but are of interest to HCTF. We recognize that published journal articles take time for publication. Please send us a PDF copy of the published article or a link to the article, once it is available.

Please note that your project’s final approval is subject to you (or you organization) entering into a Conditional Grant Agreement with HCTF. In the weeks following the receipt of your preliminary approval letter, you will be mailed two copies of a conditional grant agreement and an accompanying checklist. Please read your grant agreement carefully, and complete all requirements on the checklist before returning to HCTF. Questions? Please contact our Finance Officer.

• Project Change Requests

  • If your approved project requires modifications from your original proposal in terms of objectives, activities/methodology, or budget allocation, you must submit a written request to HCTF using the Project Change Request Form. Depending on the nature of your request, it will be reviewed by either HCTF staff or an appropriate technical review committee. Project change requests must be submitted by February 15th and should be sent to chrf@hctf.ca.
  • If you wish to reallocate your budget, please also submit a revised version of the budget table you submitted with your application (Excel file).
  • If you wish to request a budget increase, please contact chrf@hctf.ca for additional instructions. Requests for budget increases will be accepted from May 1- November 1 only.

• Contract Extensions

  Contract Extension Request – Form

  Contract extensions are intended for projects where activities in the proposal could not be completed within the original timeframe. If you also have changes to your project objectives, budget or activities please submit a Project Change request form (see above).

  If you are unable to complete your project within the fiscal year of your Conditional Grant Agreement (April 1 through March 31st, unless otherwise specified), you will need to request a Contract Extension to extend your Agreement into the next fiscal. The annual deadline for contract extension requests is February 15th. An email from the Finance Officer will be sent in early January with the Contract Extension Request Form and instructions to email the completed request to reporting@hctf.ca.

  Please note that even though activities and expenditures will occur in the following fiscal year, they will still be invoiced and reported on under the original Agreement. The Grant Report (see Reporting Tab) will be due when that year’s activities are complete.

  In some cases, a project may have a Contract Extension concurrently with another funded year of the project. HCTF requires that expenditures and project outcomes for each grant must always be tracked, invoiced and reported on separately. That also means that any unspent funds from one grant cannot be “rolled into” the project budget for a subsequent year.

  For example, a multi-year project may receive a contract extension to complete Year 1 activities concurrent to activities already approved for Year 2. Each of these proposals is considered a separate contract. Therefore, you must report for each of them separately by completing a Grant Report for each of these project years, reporting against their respective proposals. That is, you would submit a Grant Report for Year 1, reporting against the Year 1 proposal; and another Grant Report for Year 2, reporting against the Year 2 proposal, even though the Year 1 activities took two years and happened at the same time as the Year 2 activities.

• Acknowledgement of HCTF and the Province of British Columbia

  The support provided by HCTF and the Province of BC must be acknowledged in any publicity issued, printed or distributed, including signs, displays, reports, announcements, articles, press releases, or media interviews. Please include the following statement on any published materials:

  “We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development”

  Full information on HCTF communications guidelines and copies of the HCTF logo are available here.