Media Contacts

Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development

Media Relations
250 896-4320

Craig Doucette

Communications Officer
Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation
craig.doucette@hctf.ca
250 940-3012

Backgrounders

Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation funding for caribou habitat

Following its third public application intake, the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation provided 14 grants worth $1,655,124 through its Caribou Habitat Restoration Fund.

Please note that functional restoration activities focus on limiting the ability of predators to reach areas where caribou are present, since predators will travel along “linear disturbances,” including roads or along seismic lines, such as corridors cleared of vegetation to assist with oil and gas exploration. Examples of functional restoration techniques include installing fences and spreading coarse, woody debris in an area to hamper predator access.

Ecological restoration activities focus on returning caribou habitat to its natural state, including transplanting lichen (a preferred food source of caribou) and planting native trees in areas affected by disturbances, such as wildfires or human activities.

Adams Groundhog Road Rehabilitation and Reforestation Project (Project 3-422)

  • grant of $199,500 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
  • Thompson-Okanagan region (about 100 kilometres northeast of Kamloops)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Groundhog caribou herd by restoring habitat on an estimated 50-100 kilometres of road over multiple years to reduce predator movement and access to caribou habitat.

Upper Bigmouth Creek (Project 4-621)

  • grant of $28,431 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) LLP
  • Kootenay region (about 140 kilometres north of Revelstoke)
  • This project has restored habitat on about five kilometres of linear features in the Columbia North herd area. This year’s grant is primarily for monitoring the completed restoration work.

Mica Creek (Project 4-622)

  • grant of $288,681 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • led by Yucwmenlúcwu (Caretakers of the Land) LLP
  • Kootenay region (about 140 kilometres north of Revelstoke)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Columbia North caribou herd through the restoration of habitat on two resource road networks.

Tweedsmuir Caribou Winter Range - Chelaslie Road Restoration (Project 6-283)

  • grant of $70,671 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
  • Skeena region (about 60 kilometres south of Burns Lake)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Tweedsmuir-Entiako caribou herd by restoring habitat on up to 78 kilometres of road.

Whitesail (Project 6-306)

  • grant of $87,174 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • led by Canadian Forest Products Ltd.
  • Skeena region (about 122 kilometres south of Smithers)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Tweedsmuir-Entiako caribou herd by restoring about 73 kilometres of road.

Amoco Road (Project 7-528)

  • grant of $23,315 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • co-funded by the B.C. government and Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society
  • Northeast region (56 kilometres west of Chetwynd)
  • This project has restored habitat on 15 kilometres of road in the Klinse-Za caribou herd area. This year’s grant is primarily for monitoring the completed restoration work.

Kotcho Lake Restoration Area (Project 7-529)

  • grant of $175,780 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by the Fort Nelson First Nation Lands Office
  • Northeast region (about 80 kilometres northeast of Fort Nelson)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Snake-Sahtahneh boreal caribou herd by restoring habitat on 45 kilometres of seismic lines.

Otter (Project 7-530)

  • grant of $6,120 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by Canadian Forest Products Ltd.
  • Northeast Region (about 86 kilometres northeast of Prince George)
  • This project restored habitat on a 7.5-kilometre road that was fragmenting high-value habitat for the Hart Ranges caribou herd. This year’s grant is primarily for monitoring the completed restoration work.

Tumuch (Project 7-534)

  • grant of $8,720 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • led by Canadian Forest Products Ltd.
  • Northeast Region (about 95 kilometres southeast of Prince George)
  • This project restored habitat on 12.4 kilometres of road to create a connected area of almost 70,000 hectares of high-value habitat for the North Cariboo herd. This year’s grant is primarily for monitoring the completed restoration work.

Peck Creek-Upper Carbon (Project 7-543)

  • grant of $53,452 approved for 2021-22 (continuing project)
  • co-funded by the B.C. government and Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society
  • Northeast Region (about 54 kilometres west of Chetwynd)
  • This project has restored 1,287 hectares of habitat in the Klinse-Za caribou-herd area. This year’s grant is primarily for monitoring the completed restoration work.

Callazon-Clearwater Valley: 4000 and 3800 Roads (Project 7-554)

  • grant of $122,984 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • co-funded by the B.C. government and Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society
  • Northeast Region (about 45 kilometres northeast of Mackenzie)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Klinse-Za caribou herd by restoring habitat on about 16 kilometres of road.

Goldway Road (Project 7-555)

  • grant of $72,959 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • led by Chu Cho Environmental
  • Northeast Region (about 170 kilometres northwest of Mackenzie)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Chase caribou herd by restoring habitat on up to 16 kilometres of road.

Mount Rochfort (Project 7-557)

  • grant of $192,617 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • co-funded by the B.C. government and Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • led by the Nîkanêse Wah tzee Stewardship Society
  • Northeast Region (about 65 kilometres west of Moberly Lake)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Klinse-Za and Scott East caribou herds by restoring habitat on about 150 kilometres of road.

East Babcock Restoration Area (Project 7-558)

  • grant of $324,720 approved for 2021-22 (new project)
  • co-funded by the B.C. government and Environment and Climate Change Canada
  • led by the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
  • Northeast Region (about 20 kilometres southeast of Tumbler Ridge)
  • This project is designed to benefit the Quintette and Narraway caribou herds by restoring habitat on approximately 87 kilometres of roads and seismic lines.