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Local conservation fund accepting 2022 project proposals
Submitted by the Kootenay Conservation Program
The Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), on behalf of the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK), is now accepting 2022 project proposals for the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund.
“The Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund provides an excellent opportunity for organizations that need funding for local projects that support fish and wildlife habitat, water quality, and other conservation values in the region,” said Juliet Craig, KCP Program Manager.
The Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund (CVLCF) is a tax-based dedicated fund that each year provides financial support to local projects that help conserve and restore the valley’s world-renowned natural areas. From 2010 to 2020, the CVLCF disbursed 93 grants totalling $2.45 million, including ecosystem restoration, invasive species control, lake management, water quality monitoring, and an ecological services project. This local investment has leveraged eight times that amount in additional grants and in-kind contributions.
In 2021, eight projects successfully received CVLCF funding: lake monitoring on Columbia Lake and Lake Windermere by the Columbia Lake Stewardship Society and the Lake Windermere Ambassadors; conserving biodiversity in the Columbia Wetlands by the Columbia Wetlands Stewardship Partners; stewardship of important habitat on agricultural lands through the Farmland Advantage program via the Windermere District Farmers’ Institute; enhancing habitat for at-risk swallows by Wildsight Golden; widespread treatment of the invasive plant Leafy Spurge by the East Kootenay Invasive Species Council; wildlife habitat improvements on the Kootenay River Ranch conservation property near Canal Flats by the Nature Conservancy of Canada; and ecological restoration planning for a wetland upstream of Windermere Creek to help reduce extreme flooding by the Windermere Rod & Gun Club that partnered with the Friends of Windermere Creek.
KCP, which works in partnership with the Regional District of East Kootenay to administer the CVLCF, is encouraging non-profit organizations and Indigenous communities operating in the Columbia Valley to submit funding proposals for 2022 projects. Community groups and individuals can partner with an eligible organization to apply. If you have a new project idea, it is highly recommended that you contact the KCP Program Manager prior to submitting an application to discuss your project idea.
The deadline for applications is 4:30 p.m. MT on October 29.
In November, a Technical Review Committee will review project proposals and make recommendations to the RDEK for final funding approval.
For more information and how to apply, please visit HERE.
For phone or email inquiries, please contact KCP Program Manager Juliet Craig at 250-352-2260Â or [email protected].
Learn more at www.kootenayconservation.ca.
Lead image: The Nature Conservancy of Canada received funding from the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund in 2021 to improve wildlife habitat and manage invasive plants at the Kootenay River Ranch conservation property near Canal Flats. Photo by Lyle Grisdale
The Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP) is a partnership of 80 organizations that work together to protect clean water, conserve important wildlife habitat, and steward the land to allow for healthy, functioning ecosystems in the East and West Kootenay.
