Local Elk and Other Species-at-Risk Projects Approved
Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Approves Funding for 2015 Projects
SQUAMISH – The Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) announced today that it will fund two local projects that will benefit species-at-risk in the Clowhom River watershed.
The first project will focus on mapping winter range and summer foraging habitat for the blue-listed or vulnerable Roosevelt Elk, the largest of the elk family found only in B.C.’s coastal areas. The second project will map local wetlands and the species that rely on these vital wetland habitats. Both research projects are critical to determining next steps to protect elk habitat, and planning to conserve wetlands for the species that depend on them.
Together, the two local projects in the Clowhom River watersheds will receive more than $90,000 from the FWCP, which conserves and enhances fish and wildlife impacted by BC Hydro dams.
“In order to protect at-risk species, we must also look after the habitats they depend on,” said Jordan Sturdy, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. “These conservation efforts will help us determine the best way we can restore elk numbers and preserve the wildlife and ecology that sustain them.”
These projects get underway this spring and conclude by early 2016. They are among 41 projects approved by the FWCP-Coastal Region Board, which will provide approximately $2 million in projects this year. Learn more at fwcp.ca.
The Board, which includes First Nations, public stakeholders, BC Hydro, the Province of BC and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, funds projects that align with its watershed and action plans. The Board may direct funds later in the year to other projects it deems a priority for the region.
“Each project we approve for funding aligns with our local Action Plans, and goes through a technical review before being reviewed by our Board members who make the final decisions,” says FWCP Manager, Trevor Oussoren.
The FWCP-Coastal Region includes Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Southern Interior.
For more information contact
BC Hydro Media Relations 604-928-6468