Invasive Mussel

The 2023 Invasive Mussels Monitoring Grant application is now closed.

The next intake for Invasive Mussel Monitoring Grant will open in December 2023

If you are interested in applying, please start by reviewing the Invasive Mussels Lake Monitoring Fund Program Guidelines.

The British Columbia Dreissenid Mussel Lake Monitoring Field Protocol December 2022, describes in detail the protocol that must be followed when collecting samples with funding from this program. The Field Protocol includes a list of priority waterbodies which must be used to select from for sampling. Please be sure to review the updated Field Protocol carefully.

If you would like to apply for funding under this program, you will need to complete parts 1 and 2 of the application package below. Please read the instructions carefully before beginning your application.

• Invasive Mussel Monitoring Fund Grant Application Form Instructions
• Invasive Mussel Monitoring Fund Grant Part 1 Application Form 2023 (Word document)
• Part 2 Budget and Sampling List 2023 (Excel spreadsheet)

• Ineligible Expenses

  • Salary expenses for regular provincial government employees
  • Any expenses unrelated to the sampling activities
  • If an administration fee is charged, separate additional charges for overhead (photocopying, office space, etc.) are not eligible
  • General volunteer recruitment expenses

Congratulations on the approval of your Invasive Mussel Monitoring Grant!

Here are a few things you need to know about managing your Invasive Mussel Monitoring Grant:

• Conditional Grant Agreement

  Please note that your project final approval is subject to entering into a Conditional Grant Agreement with HCTF. You will receive a notification from HCTF via DocuSign to sign your agreement electronically when it is ready. Please read your grant agreement carefully, and complete all requirements before returning to HCTF.

  View a sample of the Conditional Grant Agreement here.

• Sample and Data Submission Procedures

  A Sample and Data Submission Procedures document is included as an appendix to your Conditional Grant Agreement and includes information on how to submit plankton tow samples to the lab. The procedures refer to the Chain of Custody Form for Veliger Sample Collection. This form can be found on the Reporting tab.

  Substrate monitoring is encouraged. If you have conducted substrate sampling please fill in the Substrate Monitoring Tracking Form 2021 , and include it with your final report. The substrate monitoring form helps ensure consistent data is recorded for waterbody, location (site name), date of installation, and frequency of inspections, along with helpful information of water temperature, pH and Secchi depth.

  If you have not received your forms or if anything is unclear, please contact Barb von Sacken at bvonsacken@hctf.ca or 250-940-3013 if you have any questions about sample and data forms.

  Reminder: To ensure proper tracking of lab samples, sample site names used in the field must correspond to sample sites names approved in your sampling plan and provided to the lab.

• Additional Data

  Please note that if you have collected any additional field data that does not fit on the Chain of Custody form, please submit this information separately directly to Martina.Beck@gov.bc.ca.

• Change Requests

  If you wish to make any changes to your sampling plan (e.g. change a sampling site) or adverse conditions require changes in sampling, or you have other changes to your project, please contact Beck, Martina at Martina.Beck@gov.bc.ca or Amalis Riera Vuibertat Amalis.RieraVuibert@gov.bc.ca and cc Barb von Sacken at bvonsacken@hctf.ca.

• HCTF & Province of British Columbia Acknowledgement

  Funding for the HCTF invasive Mussel Monitoring Grant was originally provided by a $450,000 contribution from the Province of B.C., ongoing funding has continued to be supported through provincial funding. Therefore, HCTF and the Province of British Columbia must be acknowledged in any publicity issued, printed or distributed, including signs, displays, reports, announcements, articles, press releases, or media interviews. Acknowledgement requirements are detailed below.

  1. HCTF communication guidelines and logos are available here
  2. Any signage funded by the Invasive Mussel Monitoring Program must include the HCTF logo and must be reviewed and approved by the Province.
  3. For materials such as press releases, reports, and brochures, in addition to the HCTF logo, you must include the following acknowledgement statement: “The (insert Name of Recipient) recognizes the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, the Province of British Columbia and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) for making a significant financial contribution to support the (insert Name of Project). Without such support, this project would not have been possible.”
  4. All materials* must be reviewed and approved by the Province prior to publication. Please contact Amalis Riera Vuibert at Amalis.RieraVuibert@gov.bc.ca for provincial review. Ensure the province has at least 10 working days to review and approve, prior to your planned publication date.
     *EXCEPTIONS – Short (200 words or less) Facebook, Instagram or Twitter posts that do not discuss the technical details of the Invasive Mussel Monitoring Program do not require Provincial review and approval prior to publishing. Hashtags #HCTFgrants, @HabitatConservationTrust, #ProvinceOfBC, @governmentofbc must be included.

Congratulations on completing the 2023 monitoring field season! Please ensure that all data is submitted to the lab before October 31st, 2023. You will also need to download, complete and submit the following reporting forms to HCTF by November 30th, 2023:

• Invasive Mussels Lake Monitoring Fund Grant Report Template 2023 – as a Word document
• Appendix 1 – Sampling Sites by Waterbody 2023 – as an Excel file
• Appendix 2 – Collated Chain of Custody Form 2023 – collated copies of the forms provided to the lab with your samples – as an Excel file
• Appendix 3 Substrate Monitoring Tracking Form 2023 (if applicable) – as an Excel file

The Grant Report and lab results will be reviewed to ensure that samples were received by the lab and data was submitted in accordance with the approved plankton tow sampling plan. The Grant Report and all data must be submitted in order to receive the final payment under your grant. Please send completed forms to reporting@hctf.ca.