Grant for Local Governments to Advance Biodiversity Conservation on Private Lands New!
Program Category:
Climate Adaptation, Climate Mitigation, Environment
Program Sub-Category:
Environmental Stewardship
Status: Closing Soon
Funder
Fraser Basin Council (FBC)
Deadline Details
Submit your Expression of Interest by April 30, 2024.
It is widely acknowledged within B.C. that there are challenges to biodiversity conservation since a large proportion of biodiversity, including species and ecosystems at risk, occur within valley bottoms and coastal areas that are comprised mostly of private land parcels. Incentive tools for private landowners to undertake conservation actions are not available in all parts of the province and, where they are available, there are challenges to their access and implementation.
To begin to address these challenges, Fraser Basin Council, in partnership with the Province of B.C., is offering a one-time grant for local governments in 2024 to explore opportunities for funding conservation tools and incentives on private land to enable and expand the role of local governments in conservation.
Local governments can utilize this grant to explore how to develop a private landowner incentive model to achieve biodiversity conservation and climate action goals through carbon storage or sequestration. The grant could also be used as seed funding to investigate how to support private land conservation through developing agreements directly with private landowners.
Activities may include:
- Researching private landowner incentive programs and other conservation opportunities from other jurisdictions.
- Conducting public opinion polls within the region to determine local interest in supporting private land conservation or participating in incentive programs.
- Reviewing your local government’s potential conservation financing options.
- Reviewing your local government’s natural assets and/or priority areas for biodiversity conservation (e.g., mapping sensitive areas, inventory of natural assets).
- Developing a local conservation fund service (please see examples above).
- Working on agreements with private landowners and/or non-government organizations.
Required Community Contribution
Community contribution required (please see program website)
Local governments must be able to match the grant 1:1 with non-federal funds and/or in-kind staff time.
Specific Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the grant, regional districts and municipalities will be required to:
- Focus work on developing and/or expand upon existing incentive models for biodiversity conservation and/or carbon storage and sequestration on private lands e.g., establishing a local conservation funds program that prioritizes maintaining or restoring functioning ecosystems as one of the main goals (for more examples, please see project objectives section below).
- Engage with First Nations.
- Match the grant 1:1 with non-federal funds and/or in-kind staff time.
- Submit this completed form by April 30, 2024.
- Optional: establish an agreement with a private landowner, either directly or through a non-government organization, with payment to the landowner for specific conservation actions e.g., maintaining existing biodiversity, restoring an ecosystem. Note, this agreement could be a case study using seed funding from the grant to test for potential future agreements with private landowners.
Type of Funding
- Grant
Range of Funding Available per Project
- Under $100 000
Description of Funding
The amount available for a local government is expected to be $15,000 to $90,000. Local governments must be able to match the grant 1:1 with non-federal funds and/or in-kind staff time.
Eligible Costs
DesignPlanning
Community Engagement
Equipment/Material Purchase
Staff Costs
Research and Development
Eligible expenses include staff or contractor time on:
- Salaries and wages;
- contractors, including Indigenous technical advisors;
- management and professional services;
- policy development;
- financial reviews and options;
- legal opinion;
- jurisdictional scans and analysis;
- work on biodiversity, carbon and/or natural asset inventory or mapping;
- communications;
- public opinion polls;
- travel;
- vehicle rental and operation expenditures;
- agreements development with landowners;
- payments to a landowner directly or through a third party;
- costs associated with easements or covenants;
- materials and supplies;
- equipment rentals;
- and other related expenses to further work on financing biodiversity conservation and private land incentives in your region.
Ineligible Costs
Land Acquisition- Costs associated with land purchase or acquisition.
Reporting Requirements
Final report only
Expected Timeframe for Funding Decision
2 monthsProjects will be approved by May 15, 2024.