Deadline: 06-Nov-2020
The Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) has announced a call for proposals for Enhancement and Restoration (E&R) Grant Program.
Each year, HCTF provides approximately $6 Million dollars in Enhancement and Restoration (E&R) Grants. These grants are provided to projects that:
- Focus on native freshwater fish, wildlife and their habitats;
- Have the potential to achieve a significant conservation outcome;
- Align with the purposes as laid out in the Wildlife Act.
One of HCTF priorities is to support habitat enhancement and restoration, therefore proposals that involve on-the-ground habitat enhancement and/or restoration activities are strongly encouraged.
Funding Information
- There is no upper limit on funding requests but there is a 5-year limit to project funding. E&R Grant budgets typically range from $10,000 to over $100,000 annually.
- Note that projects requesting funds in excess of $100,000 per year will be reviewed with higher scrutiny to ensure the potential conservation benefits justify this level of funding. When reviewing proposals, the Board considers the multi-year implications of investment.
Capital Asset Requests
- In order to maximize the on-the-ground impact of every conservation dollar, HCTF will consider requests for capital assets where they are necessary to complete the project and where the cost per asset does not exceed $3,500. This threshold may be lifted in certain circumstances, such as for immobile assets (e.g. cattleguards, aerators, etc.).
- Please contact HCTF to discuss if you wish to request an asset over $3,500. Note that any asset purchased must only be used for conservation purposes.
Eligibility Criteria
- HCTF E&R grants are available to anyone who has who has a good idea that benefits fish, wildlife and habitat in British Columbia. Proponents can include:
- Provincial government agencies
- First Nations
- Local governments
- Community and conservation groups
- Universities and colleges, and
- Individuals (consultants who apply should provide credentials to indicate their abilities to complete the proposal)
- HCTF strongly encourages cost-shared proposals, and project leaders should explore the possibility of partnerships with other organizations or agencies (local, provincial or federal).
Ineligibility Criteria
The following activities and types of projects are not eligible for Enhancement and Restoration Grant funding:
- Non-applied research, such as research not related to the increased understanding of population baselines and conservation status of species, and/or research that does not identify key opportunities for restoration, enhancement, maintenance, or acquisition
- Training costs for project personnel
- Law enforcement activities
- Fish rearing, farming, stocking, or hatchery projects
- Wildlife Rescue Centres
- Captive breeding and rearing with the exception of activities that are a critical step toward population recovery
- Feeding of wildlife species with the exception of activities that are part of population recovery projects
- Control of wildlife species (note that they will consider control of invasive, non-native wildlife species)
- Salaries for regular Provincial government employees (wages for Auxiliary employees dedicated to the proposed project are eligible)
- Salmon-only projects that do not also bring benefit to freshwater and terrestrial species or habitats
- Marine projects outside of intertidal and estuary zones
- Mapping-only projects that are not integral to the development of a larger, eligible HCTF project
- Development or production of curriculum guidebooks or publication materials for fishing and hunting, tour activities
- Information projects on regulations or stocking
- Conferences
- Production or sponsorship of commercial programs
- Stand-alone interpretative services that are not integral to the development of a larger, eligible HCTF project
- Creation or management of stand-alone electronic databases, websites or file systems
Please note: All Enhancement & Restoration Grant proposals have the same eligibility restrictions, deadlines, application requirements, and review criteria, unless specified otherwise.
For more information, visit https://hctf.ca/grants/enhancement-grants/#overview