The Government of B.C. just announced a new $300 provincial Conservation and Stewardship Alliance Fund. Here are 5 things you need to know about this fund designed to conserve land and marine areas:
1 Long-term area-based conservation
The Conservation and Stewardship Alliance Fund will supply funding for area-based conservation through the planning, establishment and implementation of protected and conserved areas.
Activities that are eligible for funding include capacity support for planning and negotiations, removing tenures from the land base that would harm biodiversity, restoration work, and economic transition support for communities.
2 Indigenous-led
In order to be eligible, First Nations must have a leadership role in the proposed project. Research has shown that biodiversity thrives in protected areas managed by Indigenous Peoples. They have stewarded their territories since time immemorial and deeply understand the relationships between land, water, wildlife and people.
3 Independent oversight
The fund will rest outside of provincial government, hosted within the BC Parks Foundation. It will be administered by an oversight committee that includes at least half First Nation representation. The committee will be made up of experts in the field of conservation and stewardship. This, along with the public reporting requirements, is critical as it will insulate the fund from political shifts and offer increased transparency. It’ll also enable the cooperation and coordination of funding for First Nations-led conservation initiatives.
4 Matched funding
Of the $300 million, $150 million comes from the provincial government and $150 million comes from private, philanthropic sources. This really underlines how important conservation is in British Columbia not only to the Government of B.C. but also to the residents of British Columbia. This fund will endure beyond 2030, supporting nature to make a full recovery beyond the current biodiversity targets.
5 There may be more to come
The funding announcement comes ahead of the highly anticipated Tripartite Framework Agreement for Nature Conservation. This Agreement could bring a whopping additional $1.2B investment made by the federal and provincial governments to advance conservation across BC.
The announcement of the Fund builds on recent commitments and action from the province. Work is well underway to create the first province-wide Coastal Marine Strategy, which will provide a much-needed and long-overdue blueprint for coastal protection. Earlier this year, the province removed an archaic clause that prevented ecological protections from “unduly reducing the supply of timber from British Columbia’s forests.” These are key milestones that set BC on a path to prioritize ecosystem health, keeping forests, wildlife and communities healthy for generations to come.
