The FWCP was established to compensate for impacts to fish, wildlife, and their supporting habitat, resulting from the construction of existing BC Hydro dams.

BC Hydro has water licence obligations in the Columbia and Peace regions, and has made voluntary commitments to address the impacts of dams in the Coastal Region. BC Hydro fulfills the applicable obligations through the work of the FWCP.

The FWCP is funded annually by BC Hydro. The FWCP directs those funds towards projects that address priority actions across its three regions to fulfill its mission, and work towards its vision of thriving fish and wildlife populations in watersheds that are functioning and sustainable.

We fund projects that align with our Action Plans, which reflect regional conservation priorities and priority actions. An independent Board in each region reviews all grant applications and project funding decisions. Our Boards include representatives from BC Hydro, the Province of B.C., Fisheries and Oceans Canada, First Nations and public stakeholders.

• Coastal Region Board and Committee List
• Columbia Region Board and Committee List
• Peace Region Board and Committee List

Learn more about our grants and projects we fund, subscribe at fwcp.ca/subscribe.

The Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) conserves and enhances fish and wildlife in watersheds impacted by BC Hydro dams. The FWCP is funded annually by BC Hydro. The FWCP directs those funds towards priority actions across its three regions to fulfill its mission and work towards its vision of thriving fish and wildlife populations in watersheds that are functioning and sustainable.

By funding projects to support fish and wildlife populations in our Coastal, Columbia and Peace Regions, the FWCP is fulfilling BC Hydro’s applicable water licence obligations and voluntary commitments to compensate for fish and wildlife impacts.

We fund and support the following types of actions, which are consistent with our mandate:

• Fund actions to create, restore, or otherwise improve the function of ecosystems that have been impacted by BC Hydro activities;
• Fund actions to create, restore, or otherwise improve the function of alternate ecosystems that provide a better opportunity for investment;
• Participate as a team member in species of interest planning;
• Fund specific management actions for species of interest as identified by recovery teams and action/implementation groups;
• Fund baseline inventory that contributes to the development of habitat- or species-based actions within action plans;
• Fund monitoring programs designed to measure the effectiveness of FWCP-funded habitat- and species-based actions; and
• Contribute to all aspects of managing co-operatively managed conservation lands.

We do not fund or support the following activities, which are beyond our mandate:

• Fund core activities of government or non-government agencies or programs;
• Lead the development of species recovery goals;
• Fund, co-ordinate, or lead national recovery teams for species at risk;
• Develop policy related to land or wildlife management;
• Administer government regulations;
• Engage in enforcement and compliance activities, except in relation to co-operatively managed conservation lands; and
• Fund programs designed exclusively to address government objectives.

All grant applications are due Friday, October 30, 2020 at 5 p.m. PDT.

We encourage you to submit your grant application prior to the 5 p.m. deadline in case our system validation of your application finds errors or omissions.

Only grant applications successfully submitted by 5 p.m. PDT will be reviewed.

Two grants available: Large and Seed

As of 2020, we no longer offer Small Grants. All grant applicants are invited to apply for a Large Grant, regardless of total project cost. All Large Grant applications require a written proposal. We continue to offer a Seed Grant.

NEW! Updated evaluation criteria for all grant applications

We have updated the criteria used to evaluate all grant applications. Important changes include:

• Increased focus on alignment of proposed projects with the FWCP’s overall vision of thriving fish and wildlife populations in watersheds that are functioning and sustainable.
• Strengthened emphasis on alignment of proposed projects with the priority action(s).
• More focus on how likely it is a proposed project will achieve the intended outcome(s).
• Evaluation of your efforts to engage with and involve First Nations in proposed projects, especially in the Coastal and Columbia regions (i.e. grant applicants in our Peace Region must submit a notice of intent and follow our guidance for early engagement with First Nations).
• More emphasis on project and funding partners involved in your proposed project.

Our grant application has been revised to reflect these changes.

Guidance for First Nations involvement in Coastal and Columbia regions

Strengthening involvement of First Nations is a priority for the FWCP, and we encourage all grant applicants to engage with the appropriate First Nations prior to submitting your grant application. Our review and evaluation of all grant applications will consider your efforts to engage with and involve First Nations in your proposed project.

Coastal Region

For grant applicants in our Coastal Region, we encourage you to engage with the appropriate First Nations to discuss your proposed project and options for involvement prior to submitting your grant application. You will be asked to document your engagement efforts when you complete your online grant application.

Columbia Region

For grant applicants in our Columbia Region, please review and follow our new guidance for early engagement with First Nations in 2020 (see our regional guidance for Columbia Region grant applicants). This guidance was developed with input from the Ktunaxa Nation, Okanagan Nation Alliance, and the Secwepemc Nation and provides specific guidance on who to contact and how. You will be asked to document your engagement efforts when you complete your online grant application.

Peace Region

For grant applicants in our Peace Region, please follow our existing guidance and submit your mandatory notice of intent by Friday, September, 11, 2020.

Coastal Region

NEW! Proposals for limiting factors analyses not accepted this year

Our Coastal Region board is finalizing a comprehensive habitat assessment mapping project that will provide important conservation guidance at the watershed level. To help focus resources and allow the FWCP time to consider a consistent, region-wide approach to conducting limiting factor analyses, our board is not seeking grant applications for limiting factors analyses in any Coastal Region watershed at this time (i.e. this priority action is now identified as a DIRECTED action and we are not accepting grant applications). Each Coastal Region watershed action plan has been updated accordingly. If you have any questions about priority actions and projects eligible for FWCP funding in our Coastal Region, contact our Coastal Region manager.

Columbia Region

North Columbia projects are a priority

The FWCP’s Columbia Region board is encouraging grant applications for proposed projects to be delivered within the northern portion of the FWCP’s Columbia Region (i.e. North Columbia sub-region), which is bordered by Revelstoke and Golden in the south and Valemount in the north. See the Columbia Region map. Proposed projects in this sub-region must align with priorities in updated 2019 Columbia Region action plans.

Peace Region

NEW! Updated action plans define priority actions eligible for a grant

After an extensive engagement process and a strategic review of past projects, our Peace Region board has approved an updated set of action plans for our Peace Region. The new 2020 action plans  should be reviewed by all Peace Region grant applicants prior to submitting your grant applications. If you have any questions about priority actions and projects eligible for FWCP funding in our Peace Region, contact our Peace Region manager.

Actions identified in our Action Plans are eligible for an FWCP grant. Our Action Plans define priority actions for each watershed or sub-region, and reflect our mission, geographic scope, and three strategic objectives:

1. conservation;
2. community engagement; and
3. sustainable use.

The Action Plans also provide important context about hydro-generating facilities, information gaps, limiting factors, and other information to characterize the watershed or sub-region.

Within our Action Plans, priority actions are grouped by five broad types:

1. habitat-based actions;
2. species-based actions;
3. research and information acquisition actions;
4. monitoring and evaluation actions; and
5. land securement.

Our Action Plans also identify how important each action is to us (i.e. priority #1, #2, or #3). A priority #1 action will score higher than a priority #2 or #3 action, when grant applications are evaluated. Actions identified as “directed” are not eligible for a grant. These are projects that our regional Boards will direct through a separate request for proposal process. Do not submit a grant application for a “directed” project. Contact us if you are not sure.

Grant applications for projects that do not clearly address a priority action identified in an Action Plan will not be considered for an FWCP grant.

If your grant for a proposed project is approved, the project proponents (i.e. project contact) must be able to provide:
1.     a WorkSafe BC clearance letter; and
2.     proof of commercial general liability.

If you or your group can fulfil both of these requirements, you are eligible to apply for a grant. Examples of eligible grant applicants include: First Nations, consultants, agencies, non-government organizations, individuals, and academic institutions.

Our action plans guide FWCP investments in fish and wildlife projects, and are referenced annually by our regional Boards to track progress toward implementation, set annual priorities, and guide decision-making in setting out and approving the annual operating plan for each region. Actions in our action plans are eligible for FWCP funding and align with our vision, mission, and geographic scope.

Each region has its own set of action plans. If you are applying for a grant in our Peace Region, be sure to review our updated 2020 action plans.

Coastal Region Watershed Action Plans

Columbia Region Action Plans

Peace Region Action Plans

NEW! As of 2020, we no longer offer Small Grants.

Seed Grants

Seed Grants are intended to offset costs to fill information gaps, explore project feasibility, and prepare technical information that may be required prior to developing a project proposal for a Large Grant application. Use our Seed Grant to grow your idea into a future Large Grant application. Up to a maximum of $5,000 is available from the FWCP.

Large Grants

All grant applicants ready to implement a proposed project should apply for a Large Grant, regardless of the total project cost.

Our Large Grants are available in each of our regions for all proposed projects that align with our regional action plans, regardless of the total project cost. The total project cost includes funding from all sources including but not limited to the FWCP, other funders (if any), the total value of all in-kind contributions (if any), and applicable taxes. Regardless of the total project cost, you will be asked to include a written project proposal (maximum six pages) as part of your online grant application.

Follow these steps:

1. Review the regional action plans of interest to you.
2. Develop a project idea that aligns with a priority action(s) in any action plan(s) that will achieve the intended outcome(s).
3. Review and comply with applicable regional requirements and guidance.
4. Login to our online grant management system at ca/apply-for-funding to start your online grant application.
5. Peace Region applicants will be asked to submit a mandatory notice of intent by Friday, September 11, 2020, at 5 p.m. PDT as a first step toward completing the online grant application.
6. Complete all mandatory requirements.
7. Submit your grant application by Friday, October 30, 2020, 5 p.m. PDT.

The next section provides more details on these steps.

1.    Review regional action plans

A series of action plans define priority actions eligible for an FWCP grant in each of our three regions. We fund projects that align with our action plans.

Please review the action plan(s) in the region(s) of interest to you. Base your grant application for a potential project on any one, or more, of the priority actions recommended in our regional action plans.

Coastal, Columbia, and Peace region action plans are online at:

• • Coastal Region             fwcp.ca/region/coastal-region      OR      fwcp.ca/action-plans-coastal-region
  • Columbia Region fwcp.ca/region/columbia-region  OR      fwcp.ca/action-plans-columbia-region

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