Each year since 1974, the Province of British Columbia and Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (formerly Habitat Conservation Fund) have made grants available to organizations and individuals who wanted to carry out a conservation project but needed some financial help to get going. To assist as many groups as possible throughout the province each year, grants are modest, averaging about $2,500 each. There is an annual limit of $10,000 per year per project, and multi-year projects are allowed, provided 1) they are identified as such in the first year of application and 2) the total project life is limited to five years. There is a project lifetime limit of $20,000 total budget for multiple year projects. More than 300 such projects have been carried out under the program so far.

Expected Budget: $150,000

Submission Date: May 17, 2011

 

Eligible Projects

As the name implies, the project must be of a conservation nature. Priority will be given to those projects that focus on activities that maintain, conserve or restore native (indigenous) fish and wildlife species and their habitat, i.e., "on-the-ground" activities.

Projects can include a wide range of activities. Here are some examples:

• improving spawning grounds
• building bird houses
• planting shrubs for cover
• tagging / monitoring animals
• restoring riparian areas
• restoring grasslands
• building waterfowl nesting floats and boxes
• fencing
• improving winter range

There's almost no limit to on-the-ground activities that will be considered so long as it will make a contribution to the conservation of wildlife or fisheries. The "catch" in this offer is that you or your organization must contribute an amount equal or greater than the amount of the grant. Your contribution can be in volunteer labour and in materials.

We require that a major part of your contribution be in volunteer labour because one of the aims of the program is to get more people actively involved in conservation work. You won't get paid for your labour because this is not an employment scheme, but your labour will count as part or all of your share of the cost.

As much as we'd like to support a wider range of activities, we cannot, so these restrictions apply:

• no research projects (see point 9 below for possible exception)
• no lecture series or conventions
• no photographic documentaries
• no payment of wages or mileage
• no promotion of business opportunities

Conservation is not just governments’ business, it’s everybody’s business. Your help is important and the Public Conservation Assistance Fund is there to make it possible for you and your organization to make a contribution. Good luck.