Mon, 28 Apr 2025
Tags: F&W / Fish & Wildlife / News

HCTF Approves $8.6 Million for Fish & Wildlife Conservation Projects

1-826 Vancouver Island Steelhead Stock Decline Investigations, BC Conservation Foundation - Upper Gold Snorkel Survey, photo by Danny Swainson

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation is proud to announce over $8.6 million in funding for 110 conservation projects throughout British Columbia.

For over forty years, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) has provided grants with over $242 million contributed to conservation projects and programs. The range of project leaders and conservation actions supported all share the goal of conserving B.C.’s freshwater fish, wildlife, and habitats today for generations.

As a registered charity and foundation, HCTF’s unique funding model is led by a surcharge on hunting, fishing, trapping, and guide outfitting licences. “Each year, the conservation surcharge from these contributors funds over one hundred fish, wildlife, and habitat projects above and beyond government funding,” says HCTF’s CEO, Dan Buffett. “Yet, we recognize that government funding, such as the Together for Wildlife Strategy, along with funding from partners, First Nations and other organizations and individuals, remains crucial to meet the shared goals to conserve and enhance B.C.’s fish, wildlife and their habitats.”

7-570 Stone’s sheep seasonal range use in the Omineca Region
Wild Sheep Society of BC

“Our government has been working alongside First Nations, conservation organizations and other key partners for many years to help protect and restore important ecosystems throughout this beautiful province,” says Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. “It is deeply rewarding to see the ongoing progress of this crucial work, which is improving the lives of British Columbians today and will continue to benefit future generations. The surcharge revenue, which is dedicated to the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation’s funding program, complements a suite of integrated conservation initiatives in B.C., including the Together for Wildlife Strategy, the Tripartite Framework Agreement on Nature Conservation, the Conservation Lands Program, the draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework, and our commitment to protect 30% of the province’s land base by 2030.”

Projects supported this year include:

  • $84,000 to replace aging infrastructure at the Redfish Creek Spawning Channel to continue to supply stock conservation and fishery benefits
  • $68,224 to restore whitebark pine ecosystems for bear habitat in the Skeena region
  • $94,050 for the restoration of year-round fish passage and improvement of aquatic and riparian habitat at the Westside Road weirs in Six Mile Creek
  • $262,650 towards restoring caribou habitat on approximately 86 km of roads within the Whitesail Priority Restoration Area
  • $99,621 to conduct cultural burns to enhance forest health in the Mount Currie/Líl̓wat area and improve habitats for grizzly bears, black bears, deer, and elk
  • $45,645 to better understand the factors that limit porcupine survival in north central B.C., given the limited ecological knowledge of this species

To see the complete list of HCTF-funded projects and learn more about the conservation work being done near you, view the 2025-26 Approved Project List.

In addition to Fish and Wildlife grants, HCTF provides grants for conservation stewardship and education. Additional projects will be announced in June under our Action, Capacity, and Community Grant programs, and scholarship recipients in autumn.

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

Mon, 9 Sep 2024
Tags: F&W / News / Wildlife

Owl Habitat Suitability in Post-Fire Forests

An owl spotted during the study - photo by Marcus Cosentino

HCTF is proud to support 178 fish and wildlife conservation and conservation stewardship projects across B.C. this year, with more than $1.5M in funding allocated to projects in the Thompson Okanagan region.

Among this year’s projects in the region is a two-year study of how wildfires of different ages affect the distribution of owls in the Okanagan Valley. “Owls help regulate prey populations and are culturally significant to local Indigenous communities. They are threatened by wildfire, which removes forest features needed for breeding and hunting,” says project leader Karen Hodges of the University of British Columbia Okanagan. MSc student Steffani Singh is surveying which owl species are present in post-fire forests and determining where owl nests are and what the owls are eating in these burned landscapes. The project will thus inform the management about what features of burned forests are essential for owls, leading to better habitat conservation. The project is being supported by the HCTF and the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC), with $66,401 in funding this year.

View of an area post-wildfire – photo by Nikita Karitsky

Dan Buffett, CEO of HCTF, said, “Over the last seven years, FESBC contributed over $4.5M to HCTF to fund wildlife projects in our forests. Our partnership enables project leaders such as UBCO to assess the impact of wildfires on wildlife and develop guidance on how to better manage forests for wildlife. Projects such as Dr. Hodge’s work on owls, along with many other wildlife projects, will continue to fill our knowledge gaps to improve habitat for wildlife.”

Learn more: listen to an interview with project lead Steffani Singh here.

Other HCTF-funded projects taking place in Thompson Okanagan include:

  • $22,730 to measure how changes in Douglas-fir forests affect mule deer habitat and how to better support the mule deer population in the Bald Mountain range west of Summerland (co-funded by FESBC).
  • $295,500 to rebuild the Mission Creek Spawning Channel intake, ensuring spawning migration access and higher survival rates for juvenile kokanee.
  • $62,750 to restore habitat on approximately 23 km of roads within the Caribou North and Groundhog caribou herds’ range.
  • $93,615 to install a resistivity counter in the Upper Shuswap River to monitor Bull trout migration and provide spawning and movement patterns.
  • $24,906 to build capacity for and understanding of environmental and wildlife initiatives in the Nlaka’pamux Homeland.
Tue, 19 Sep 2023
Tags: F&W / Fish & Wildlife / News

Additional Funding Available for Marbled Murrelet and Northern Goshawk Projects

Marbled Murrelet near south Vancouver Island. Photo by Jenna Cragg.

Ongoing efforts to help two threatened birds in B.C. will get a lift this year. The Province of B.C. has dedicated $257,000 towards projects that support the Northern Goshawk, laingi subspecies (“NOGO”) and the Marbled Murrelet (“MAMU”), to be administered by HCTF.

Proposals are to be submitted through the regular Fish & Wildlife (formerly Enhancement & Restoration) Grant SurveyApply application process. They will then be evaluated according to their alignment with either the NOGO or MAMU Implementation Plans and their respective Implementation Actions – see Actions and Performance Measures tables:

Marbled Murrelet Implementation Plan
Northern Goshawk Implementation Plan

The application deadline for Fish & Wildlife Grants is Friday, November 3, 2023, at 4:30pm PDT.

For questions regarding the NOGO/MAMU funding or Fish & Wildlife Grants, please contact HCTF’s Grants Officer Amy Perkins at amy.perkins@hctf.ca or 250-940-3014.

Adult male goshawk captured in the Squamish area. Photo by Melanie Wilson.

Mon, 24 Apr 2023
Tags: F&W / Fish & Wildlife

$8 Million in Funding Approved for Conservation Projects Across B.C.

Project 7-540: Prescribed Burns for Wild Sheep Enhancement in Northeastern BC

The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation today announced over $8 million that will fund 167 fish and wildlife conservation projects across B.C.

2023-24 HCTF Project List

For over 40 years, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) has provided grants to a large network of recipients who undertake conservation projects each year. With support from HCTF, a wide range of nonprofit organizations, First Nations and Indigenous communities, Provincial ministries, and community groups implement projects that protect B.C.’s wildlife, freshwater fish, and their habitats. Since 1981, the HCTF has funded over 3,550 projects representing an investment of over $215 million for conservation in B.C.

CEO Dan Buffett is pleased with the diversity of projects as “each project undergoes a multi-step technical review process to direct funding to the best projects for fish, wildlife and their habitats.”

Project 5-310: Invasive Mussel Monitoring for the Cariboo Regional District

A significant source of funding for projects is the conservation surcharge paid by B.C.’s anglers, hunters, trappers, and guide outfitters when they purchase their respective licenses. HCTF also receives substantial funding from partner organizations like the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. (FESBC), provincial government contributions, court awards, and endowments.

FESBC’s Executive Director Steve Kozuki is “thrilled to partner with the trusted and respected Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation to improve wildlife habitat. With their first-in-class management of funds and projects by talented and professional staff, we know that we are maximizing benefits for wildlife in British Columbia.”

This year’s approved projects include:

  • $254,809 for functional and ecological restoration of approximately 16 km of linear corridors in the Clearwater Valley, led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society.
  • $146,747 to enhance 200 km2 of moose habitat in Nazko First Nation territory including rehabilitation of 100 km of forest resource roads.
  • $130,794 to determine the migration behaviour and habitat use of juvenile white sturgeon in the Pitt River watershed of the Lower Fraser River to develop habitat protections and restoration prescriptions.
  • $92,938 for the restoration of a former sawmill site in the heart of the salmonid migratory corridor of the Puntledge and Tsolum Rivers watersheds in the Comox Valley; this will restore the forested tidal wetland and reconnect the site to the floodplain of the Courtenay River, benefiting salmon, trout, and many other wildlife species.
  • $95,940 for the enhancement of critical habitat for mule deer, white-tailed deer, and Rocky Mountain elk between Raymond and Red Canyon Creeks in the Galton Range. Efforts will focus on slashing treatments and invasive plant management.

Project 2-349: Enhancing Upland Farmland for Wildlife in the Fraser River Delta

The B.C. Wildlife Federation also received funding this year: “Funding from HCTF will help the B.C. Wildlife Federation to train a new generation of habitat stewards through our Wetlands Institute,” said Neil Fletcher, BCWF Director of Conservation Stewardship. “With the support of HCTF, we offer a seven-day boot camp to qualified British Columbians who are pursuing projects in their communities. The grant for the Water, Water, Everywhere project will enable the BCWF to strategically place wetlands designed to mimic beaver dams with ability to restore and enhance wildlife habitat and riparian areas all over B.C.,” Fletcher added. “Installing beaver dam analogues with local partners will allow us to share our skills and expand our network of conservation stewards.”

To see the complete list of HCTF funded projects or explore the conservation work being done near you, view the 2023-24 Approved Project List.

Wed, 15 Mar 2023
Tags: Caribou / Fish & Wildlife / News

Preliminary Approved Project List 2023-24

A preliminary list of HCTF approved projects for 2023-24 is now available.

Preliminary Approved Project List 2023-24

Projects included on this preliminary list have been approved in principle but may have reduced budgets or funding conditions. 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). Please note that HCTF staff cannot provide further information to you before the Notifications are issued.

Proponents of approved projects will receive a Conditional Grant Agreement. 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 2023 (Deadline: Friday November 3, 2023).

How are Grant Applications Reviewed?

Each proposal undergoes a multi-level, objective technical review prior to final Board decisions. For more information on what reviewers look for when evaluating a proposal, see our Grant Apply page.