The Conservation Fund is a permanent endowment fund of $56 million designed to ensure the ecological integrity of the world’s largest intact coastal temperate rainforests in the Project Area. Its goals for Participating First Nations include:
• Enhancing their ability to apply their knowledge about ecological systems and function to the management of ecosystems, protected areas, lands and resources in the Project Area
• Providing them with the capacity to participate effectively in the management of protected areas and ecosystems within the Project Area
• Providing them with the capacity to restore damaged habitat
• Providing them with capacity to maintain a permanent base of jobs – seasonal or full time – to support conservation planning, research, monitoring and interpretation
• Studying, documenting, and interpreting ecosystem function and processes
• Launching collaborative actions that will sustain and enhance the biodiversity, productive capacity and resilience of ecosystems in the Project Area to ensure the sustainability of cultural and traditional resources, such as fish, wildlife and cedar in perpetuity
• Maintaining, restoring or enhancing habitats and ecosystem productivity in protected areas to ensure populations of migratory birds are maintained or enhanced, species at risk or of special concern are stabilized and enhanced where possible, and productive riparian areas are maintained and restored.
Income earned from the $56 million fund is used to pay for eligible conservation management projects and activities that support these goals. Annual awards are expected to be in the realm of $1.5 to $2.5 million. The Conservation Fund is a registered charitable foundation.
For more information on eligible projects see How to apply: Conservation Fund