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ACA Grants for Conservation Heroes and Outdoor Enthusiasts-Canada

Deadline: 25-Jan-24

The Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) is offering grants to benefit Alberta’s wildlife and fish populations, and the habitat they depend on.

This popular grant program is for those with non-research project ideas relating to the conservation of Alberta’s wildlife, fish, and their habitats. It also encourages hunting, fishing, trapping, and outdoor activities and conservation education in Alberta.

Purpose
  • The ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants aim is to aid Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) in the delivery of its mission. Grants made to partners are intended to enhance and supplement ACA activities.
  • ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants fund conservation activities by individuals (with appropriate insurance coverage), organizations, and communities that contribute to healthy fish and wildlife populations, to a healthy environment for fish and wildlife in Alberta, and to the understanding, appreciation, and use of that environment. This grant program also funds projects which increase the level of attendance and awareness of outdoor opportunities, while developing knowledge and respect for conservation.
Funding Priorities
  • All applicants to the ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants should be aware that this grant is fully funded by the hunters and anglers of Alberta. All proposals should be able to demonstrate how the proposed project will aid ACA in meeting its mission of conserving, protecting, and enhancing wildlife, fish, and habitat for all Albertans to enjoy, value, and use. To help direct potential applicants the following list of priority areas has been developed. While the ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants will accept applications that do not relate to these suggested areas, projects that address one or more of these priority areas will have a higher probability of being funded than those that do not.
    • Habitat enhancement activities specifically listed on provincial recovery plans for Alberta’s Endangered species (to be done in cooperation with recovery teams).
    • Site-specific enhancements of habitat, structures, and facilities aimed at increasing recreational angling or hunting opportunities, improving habitat or increasing wildlife/fish productivity on the site (i.e., planting/seeding vegetation, development of new fisheries access sites, nest box initiatives, food plot trials and cover plot trials, spawning bed enhancement, culvert removals, fishing docks, etc.).
    • Stewardship Initiatives (e.g., ongoing maintenance of conservation sites or fisheries access sites, adopt a fence, property inspections for invasive weeds, manual weed control, and grass mowing).
    • Fisheries development, including initial evaluation of water quality aspects of existing ponds to determine their suitability for fish stocking; purchase of equipment required to ensure suitable water quality for fish stocking (e.g., aeration equipment); fish stocking in public ponds; and promotion of rural and urban fisheries (including natural waterbodies).
    • Impacts of non-native species on the persistence of native species.
    • Projects related to the retention, recruitment, and education of hunters, anglers, or trappers (including attracting new mentors, training mentors, and providing mentors for new hunters/anglers/trappers; sharing information in schools and with the public about the link between conservation and hunters/anglers/trappers; this category also includes educating new hunters/anglers/trappers; fishing and archery events for kids). Generate awareness of the hunting/angling/trapping opportunities available to the public.
    • Projects related to outdoor conservation education.
Funding Information
  • ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants has two application forms:
    • Small Grant Application Form – requests of $3,000 and under.
    • Large Grant Application Form – requests over $3,000.
Funding Criteria
  • With the exception of ACA and Federal and Provincial Government staff, any organization or individual (with appropriate insurance coverage) may apply to the ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants if they have a suitable project.
  • Grants are available for:
    • Projects that meet and further ACA’s mission: ACA conserves, protects and enhances fish and wildlife populations and their habitats for Albertans to enjoy, value, and use.
    • Projects that contribute to the priorities as outlined in the funding priorities section of this document.
    • Priority is given to projects that demonstrate a “self-help” attitude, i.e., partner contributions, matched funding dollars, and public involvement.
Eligibility Criteria
  • Any organization or individual (with appropriate insurance coverage) can apply if they have a suitable project, with the exception of a Federal or Provincial Government staff and ACA staff. ACA does not fund applications where the Federal or Provincial Government employee is the principal applicant (Principal applicant is considered the lead on a project) or the principal applicant is a Federal or Provincial ministry. Federal or Provincial Government employees may be part of the project, but must not be responsible for the majority of the project. ACA will not normally allow for applicants that are supported through other means by ACA to receive funds through this granting process.
  • Anyone engaged in the activities outlined in the “Grounds for Disqualification” outlined on ACA’s Grants website are not eligible to apply for an ACA grant.
  • Successful applicants will be expected to follow the ACA Cooperative Project Agreement, which includes the requirement to submit two reports to ACA.
Ineligible
  • ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants does not provide funding for:
    • Projects outside of Alberta
    • ACA and Federal and Provincial Government staff projects
    • Research projects (Applications for research projects may go to only one of the two ACA grant programs supporting research, either ACA Research Grants or the ACA Grants in Biodiversity for graduate student projects.)
    • Grants are not normally offered towards profit-making activities
    • Overhead costs
    • Emergency funds or deficit financing
    • Travel to conferences and seminars, unless part of a larger project supported by ACA
    • General fundraising
    • Land acquisition (Land acquisition applications can be submitted to the ACA Habitat Securement Program)

For more information, visit ACA.