Ecosystem Enhancement Program

The Trust will identify project opportunities focused on ecosystem enhancement, restoration and conservation by seeking input from community groups, First Nations representatives and government experts, and reviewing regional plans and research.

The Trust’s Program Advisory Committee will evaluate project opportunities and provide recommendations to the Trust, and the Trust will select projects for implementation.

Over the course of five years, the program aims to implement approximately 10 to 15 projects across the Basin, focusing on two sub-regions during each year of the program. We are currently identifying ecological priorities and corresponding project opportunities in the Arrow Lakes/Slocan and Columbia Valley focal areas.

Projects are anticipated to focus on a variety of ecosystems such as wetlands, fish habitat, forests and grasslands.

Although some initial planning and research may be required for the project, the majority of the project will be implementing on-the-ground landscape scale ecosystem enhancement (i.e. not research).  The level of project development required for program consideration ranges from medium-development to shovel-ready (i.e. not at the idea stage).

The program is focused on initiating and supporting implementation of large-scale projects that will have a meaningful and measureable impact on improving ecosystem health and biodiversity in the Basin, and that Basin residents and experts would like to see the Trust commission.

The program will focus on the following sub-regions in the following order:

Year 1 (2018): Kootenay Lake and Southern Rocky Mountain Trench

Year 2 (2019): Arrow/Slocan and Columbia Valley

Year 3 (2020): Lower Columbia and Elk Valley

Year 4 (2021): North Columbia and Upper Columbia

(2022): Review of non-funded additional project opportunities across Basin

View the Ecosystem Enhancement Program Sub-region Map here.

The Trust will only seek to initiate and/or support projects on lands where the land owner and/or land manager wants the project to take place. The Trust will collaborate with the land owner or land manager through all phases of project implementation.

Proponents can propose a phased multi-year approach to project implementation if that is the best method for implementing the project.

Yes, the program will include support for monitoring and maintenance where necessary to ensure projects achieve desired outcomes for ecosystems.

Yes. The program primarily uses an ecosystem lens to identify opportunities for supporting ecosystem health in the Basin; however, projects will only be implemented on lands where the land manager or property owner wants the project to take place and where there will be a significant benefit to ecosystem health.

Basin residents that want to implement smaller scale projects to improve ecosystem health (e.g., fish and wildlife habitat) are invited to apply to the Trust’s Environment Grants program. Learn more about this program at Environment Grants.

The Ecosystem Enhancement Program is not a granting program and does not accept applications. We are proactively reaching out to community groups, First Nations representatives and government experts to identify potential projects that have been developed to some extent for the Trust to support or initiate.If you have a suggestion about ecological priorities you would like to see the program address, send your suggestion to ecosystems@cbt.org.

Other organizations also offer funding for ecosystem projects including the BC Hydro Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program, Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation, Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund and the Kootenay Lake Local Conservation Fund.

The Trust supports environmental education through our Environmental Education initiatives and Environment Grants program. This program is focused on implementing on-the-ground projects that help maintain and improve ecological health and species in a variety of ecosystems, such as wetlands, fish habitat, forests and grasslands.