Salmon conservation projects across B.C. granted $227,000

PSF funds 48 local salmon projects, leveraging $2 million in total value for communities

Vancouver, B.C. – The Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) has granted $227,828 to 48 community-led salmon conservation, enhancement, and habitat restoration projects across British Columbia. These projects represent $2 million in total value of salmon stewardship work.

The Community Salmon Program, launched by PSF in 1989, empowers volunteers, local streamkeepers, Indigenous communities, and schools to take action to conserve and rehabilitate Pacific salmon and their habitats.

In the 33 years since its inception, PSF’s Community Salmon Program has awarded $25.9 million in grants to more than 3,000 projects across B.C. and the Yukon and engaged roughly 30,000 volunteers.  Successful projects have included salmon habitat restoration, aquatic monitoring and research, emergency flood initiatives, hatcheries, and educational programming and outreach.

The Community Salmon Program accepts new applications each spring and fall. The federal Salmon Conservation Stamp, a decal which anglers purchase with their saltwater fishing licence that enables them to keep any species of wild salmon, is the primary funding source for the program. PSF proudly stewards 100 per cent of the proceeds from the Salmon Conservation Stamp on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada to advance hundreds of local salmon conservation projects each year.

An annual Salmon Conservation Stamp, valid between April 1 and March 31 of each fishing season, can be purchased online or through an Independent Access Provider.

“Salmon face countless struggles, but with our help, they can recover. We depend on community-led initiatives to restore and protect Pacific salmon. We are thankful to the passionate people for salmon who leverage the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Community Salmon Program to uplift their grassroots stewardship efforts,” says Michael Meneer, CEO and president of the Pacific Salmon Foundation.

For the fall 2022 funding cycle, demand for Community Salmon Program grants was three times the amount of funds available – a new record for funding requests in program history.

“As demand for Community Salmon Program funds increases, we encourage you to make a tax-deductible donation to PSF to ensure this program and others that support salmon continue. At PSF, we’re salmon first, salmon always—and we don’t go it alone,” says Meneer.

Donate online.

See below to learn how three current Community Salmon Program recipients are making a difference for salmon.

Community Salmon Program dollars in action

Fish-friendly flood infrastructure in the Lower Fraser

More than 150 flood control structures in the Lower Mainland block an estimated 1,500 kilometres of potential salmon habitat.

Resilient Waters – a collaboration between MakeWay Charitable Society, Lower Fraser Fisheries Alliance, Watershed Watch Salmon Society, more than 10 First Nations groups, and many other organizations and local governments – seeks to reconnect vital wild salmon habitat by modernizing aging flood-control infrastructure to restore fish passage in tributaries adjacent to the Lower Fraser River. Upgrading or modifying outdated floodgates, pumps, and dikes will benefit salmon ecosystems and help reduce flood risk.

The project assesses habitat quality and fish passage at 25 high-priority sites scattered across the Lower Fraser basin with fieldwork led by Pearson Ecological. PSF funding will help cover the costs of genetic analysis of samples of Chinook and coho salmon to determine the origin of salmon accessing (or attempting to access) lower Fraser floodplain habitats.

Reviving estuarine habitat in Port Alberni

Only 36 per cent of natural area in the Somass Estuary in Port Alberni, B.C. remains intact due to alteration from agricultural, industrial, water management and development pressures. The estuary supports up to 30 million salmon smolts as they transition to the ocean.

A multi-year project led by the Alberni Valley Enhancement Association with support from 12 volunteers aims to re-establish a historic flood channel in the Somass Estuary to facilitate access for salmon to the highly productive estuarine habitat. The goal is to reconnect 380 metres of habitat from the Somass River to Shoemaker Bay.

To date, the group has constructed a bridge and started the channel excavation process. Currently in the third year of the project, a PSF grant will support the completion of the channel excavation to re-naturalize the habitat.

Improving water quality in the Somenos Watershed

The Somenos watershed, a sub-watershed of the Cowichan Valley, has long faced ecological pressures from development, agriculture, and industrial activity. Over time, these disturbances have led to a decline in water quality — a major limiting factor for salmon recovery. Chum salmon historically spawned at inflow streams of Somenos Lake but can no longer due to low dissolved oxygen levels. Coho salmon currently have limited access to the spawning grounds, but their passage is at risk if creek conditions continue to decline.

A multi-year project by Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society, in partnership with Cowichan Tribes and the Municipality of North Cowichan, aims to improve water quality and restore salmon back to historical numbers. Through their GreenStreams Strategy, they restore and protect riparian areas with research, ecological restoration, citizen science programs, and community partnerships.

With funding support from PSF, the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society will replace an aging water quality meter and in-stream temperature sensors to

The Community Salmon Program is currently accepting applications for the spring 2023 cycle until Feb. 15, 2023. Apply here.

The Community Salmon Program also benefits from corporations with sustainability goals. Trans Mountain, Mosaic Forest Management, BC Hydro, Methanex, Seaspan, Paper Excellence, Secure Energy, Neptune Terminals, ENCORP PACIFIC, Sutherland Foundation Inc., and Pembina Pipeline support the program. Interested businesses can contact PSF’s Senior Business Development Manager Cory Matheson at cmatheson@psf.ca.

A full list of recipients for the fall 2022 Community Salmon Program funding cohort includes:

Applicant	Project Title	Funding confirmed $	Project Value $
A Rocha Canada – Houston project	Upper Bulkley Riparian Corridor and Stream Restoration	13,365	42,530
Alberni Valley Enhancement Association	Somass Estuary Flood Channel	19,800	175,000
BC Conservation Foundation	Community-Based Social Marketing workshop	2,500	7,135
BC Wildlife Federation	Stewardship Workshop and Education	10,000	142,700
Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society	Mitigating 6 PPD-Q in stormwater runoff	2,500	5,300
Cameron Elementary School	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	3,550
Campus View Elementary	Stream of Dreams at Campus View Elementary	3,000	18,314
Cariboo Chilcotin Conservation Society	BC Parks Guide 2022	2,500	36,000
Champlain Heights Annex	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	3,570
Chicago Creek Community Env. Enhancement Society	Mission Creek Fence Rebuilding Completion	10,362	212,150
Chute Creek Stewardship Society	Chute Creek Habitat Restoration	2,500	126,800
Cliff Drive Elementary	Stream of Dreams at Cliff Drive Elementary	3,000	12,145
Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre Society	Restore Chum and Coho Rearing Habitat, Fish Gut Alley, Lower Cowichan River	5,544	18,040
David Lloyd George School	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	3,950
Deroche Elementary	Forest & Stream Restoration-Phase 3	1,500	4,625
Don Ross Middle School	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,300	3,100
Dorothy Lynas Elementary	Stream of Dreams at Dorothy Lynas Elementary	3,000	21,447
East Chilliwack Elementary School	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	3,550
École Pauline Johnson	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	3,550
Edith Cavell Elementary	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	3,870
F.W. Howay Elementary	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	3,550
Gavin Lake Forest Education Society	Aquatic Insects as indicators program	2,500	10,240
George Jay Elementary School	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,000	2,100
Gibsons Marine Education Centre Society	Healthy Harbour – Gibsons Harbour Clean-up and Restoration	5,828	19,160
Gitksan Watershed Authorities	McCully Creek Restoration Initiative	17,688	77,045
Guardians of Mid Island Estuaries Society	Eco-Cultural Restoration of Salish Sea Estuaries (annual funding request 1/5)	24,250	209,500
HT Thrift Elementary	Salmonids in the Classroom	600	1,200
John Norquay	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	3,350
MakeWay Charitable Society	Resilient Waters Genetic Analysis of 25 priority Lower Fraser Tributaries	5,000	206,150
Morten Creek SEP	Hatchery Maintenace, Including Bridge Repair	1,500	4,060
Nanaimo Science and Sustainability Society	Science in the Park – Salmon Run days	1,600	8,160
Northern Vancouver Island Salmonid Enhancement Association	SEP 2023 Workshop	14,773	116,575
Nuxalk Stewardship Office	Nuxalk Sockeye Recovery Program	15,000	247,738
Peninsula Streams Society	Long-term Salmon Monitoring & Stewardship in Four Greater Victoria Watersheds	16,500	194,500
Qayqayt Elementary	Stream of Dreams at Qayqayt Elementary	3,000	24,211
Queens Park Preschool Society	Stream of Dreams @ Queens Park Preschool	1,200	3,867
Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club – Little Campbell Hatchery	Little Campbell Hatchery	2,468	4,988
Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society	GreenStreams Community Stewardship Program	5,145	63,396
Sooke School District	Salmonids in the Classroom	563	1,125
Sperling Elementary	Salmonids in the Classroom	700	1,700
St. Andrew’s School	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	3,450
St. Anthony’s School	Stream of Dreams at St Anthony	2,798	9,147
St. Pius X School	Salmonids in the Classroom	360	1,810
Sts’ailes community school	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	3,450
Sunshine Coast Streamkeepers Society	Sechelt Streamkeepers Assessment Testing Equipment	2,184	4,384
Walnut Road	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	1,900
West Bay Elementary	Salmonids in the Classroom	1,650	3,650
Yorkson Watershed Enhancement Society	Yorkson Watershed Floodplain Restoration	2,500	7,940