Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk (Canada)

Deadline: 31-Oct-23

The Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is currently accepting applications to provide funding for projects submitted by Canadians that contribute directly to the recovery objectives and population goals of species at risk listed on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) or designated at risk by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC).

The Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) administers HSP funds that support terrestrial stewardship projects while Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is responsible for administering the HSP for aquatic species at risk.

Objectives

The objectives of this program are to:

• support habitat projects that benefit species at risk
• enable Canadians to become actively involved in stewardship projects for species at risk, which will result in tangible and measurable conservation benefits
• improve the scientific, sociological and economic understanding of the role of stewardship as a conservation tool

Funding Information

• Project Funding
  • Funding is variable and dependant on project activities. In an effort to promote collaboration and multi-year projects, the suggested minimum funding request for new and multi-year projects is $25,000.
• Important:
  • Project funding typically ranges from $25,000 to $100,000 per project, per year. New projects or amendment requests may extend over more than one year to a maximum of five years. Previously amended projects cannot exceed 10 years in total.
  • Non-Indigenous applicants will be required to obtain a minimum of 1:1 matching contributions from non-federal sources ($1 confirmed match for every $1 HSP funding).
  • Indigenous applicants will be required to obtain a minimum of 0.20:1 matching contribution from non-federal sources ($0.20 confirmed match for every $1 HSP funding).
  • Leveraging can take the form of either financial or in-kind resources (equipment loans, donations of building materials, and volunteer labour).

Expected Results

• Canada’s wildlife and habitat is conserved and protected
• Canada’s species at risk are recovered
• Indigenous Peoples are engaged in conservation

Eligib Activities

• Habitat Protection and Securement: Through acquisition (purchase or donation) or other securement means; protecting target species habitat by enabling the acquisition of properties or establishing conservation easements, covenants, servitudes, leases, or other types of agreements with property owners.
  • Legally binding measures:
    • Securement of land by acquiring title (fee simple)
    • Securement of land by an easement, covenant or servitude
    • Securement of land through a lease
  • Non-legally binding measures:
    • Protection of land through a written conservation agreement
• Habitat Improvement: Enhancing or restoring habitat of target species; changing land management or land use practices to benefit target species and improve habitat quality.
  • Restoration, enhancement and/or management of target species habitat
  • Vegetation planting or removal of exotics/invasive species in the habitat of, in the immediate area of, and for the direct benefit of a target species
  • Residence creation (eg., hibernacula, bird boxes, turtle nesting sites)
  • Implementation of beneficial management practices or land use guidelines
• Species and Habitat Threat Abatement: Direct intervention for target species under immediate threat from human activity, or proactive/preventative activities.
  • Prevention of damage to target species habitats (e.g., educational signage, fences for the exclusion of habitat disturbances)
  • Protection and rescue of individuals/prevention of harm to target species (e.g., enabling migration around roadways)
  • Application of modified or new technology to prevent accidental harm (e.g., using modified harvesting methods to reduce incidental take of target species)
• Conservation Planning:
  • Development of target species conservation strategies to improve habitat and reduce threats
  • Planning of stewardship programs, including target audience engagement strategies
  • Compilation and dissemination of resource/land use guidelines and beneficial management practices
• Surveys, Inventories and Monitoring: Activities such as identifying potential sites for habitat restoration, or assessing the presence of a target species and its habitat in order to target, design and carry out a current (or future) stewardship project.
  • Identifying potential sites for habitat restoration; could include mapping and analysis (needed to support target species stewardship activities)
  • Assessing the presence or abundance of target species through surveying or monitoring
  • Creation or maintenance of inventories or databases for habitat and species data
  • Documentation of Indigenous Knowledge
• Outreach and Education: Providing information to appropriate target audiences on specific actions to be taken to protect target species; raising awareness about target species conservation needs; educating resource users about alternative methods that minimize impacts on target species and their habitat; promoting stewardship at the community level to improve attitudes and change behaviour.
  • Development of targeted outreach materials emphasizing the importance of target species and the benefits of the action to be undertaken
  • Training of individuals/community members in stewardship practices related to target species
  • Informing and engaging community members/target audiences (e.g., land managers, resources users) about their potential contributions towards target species recovery
  • Engaging landowners directly in future habitat protection activities

Geographic Location

Project activities must take place in Canada, on:

• private land
• provincial Crown land
• lands under the administration and control of the commissioners of Yukon, the Northwest Territories, or Nunavut
• Indigenous land
  • reserves and lands set aside for the use and benefit of Indigenous Peoples under the Indian Act or under section 91 (24) of the Constitution Act, 1867
  • other lands directly controlled by Indigenous Peoples (for example, land claim/treaty settlement lands and Métis Settlement lands)
  • lands where traditional food, social, and ceremonial activities (harvesting or other) are carried out by Indigenous Peoples

Eligibility Criteria

The following are eligible for funding under the HSP:

• Canadian non-governmental organizations
• Canadian community groups
• Canadian Indigenous organizations and communities
• Canadian individuals
• Canadian private corporations and businesses
• Canadian educational institutions
• Canadian provincial, territorial and municipal governments
• Canadian provincial Crown corporations

For more information, visit ECCC.