Grants & Resource Mobilization

ACTION

Grants & Resource Mobilization

ACTION

The Pacific Salmon Foundation’s Grants & Resource Mobilization Team works with partners across B.C. and the Yukon to fund local solutions for salmon and their habitats. We support the people working to recover salmon in their local rivers and watersheds: community-led and First Nations-led conservation efforts, emerging salmon leaders, and urgent restoration work to counter climate impacts and other emergencies. 

Facing a Salmon Emergency?

Apply for rapid funding to support climate emergency restoration work and disaster response.

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Supporting 150+ Local Conservation Projects Every Year

PSF stewards the proceeds of the Salmon Conservation Stamp from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), and with generous donor support, we grant $1.5+ million annually to drive community-led conservation efforts.  

Near Agassiz, that funding helped the Sq’éwqel (Seabird Island Band) restore Chinook habitat at Maria Slough — and see one of their highest returns in a decade. 

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Mobilizing Resources for Salmon

Pacific salmon face unprecedented threats and habitat degradation as climate change accelerates. Local champions have eyes on the ground and are often the first to respond to salmon emergencies. Our Grants & Resource Mobilization team helps bridge the gap between the threats salmon face and the solutions communities can deliver, providing the resources these stewards need to take action.
 

We deliver targeted funding to First Nations, streamkeepers, and conservation groups — People for Salmon across B.C. and the Yukon — to help wild salmon thrive. Through twice-yearly community grants, annual student bursaries, and fast-tracked emergency funds, we invest in local stewardship to drive salmon recovery and resilience. When a stream needs restoring, an invasive species threatens a watershed, or a drought cuts off vital spawning grounds, this funding puts recovery within reach of the communities doing the work.

Areas of Work

Community-Led Conservation

Through twice-yearly grants, the Community Salmon Program provides $1.5+ million annually to support community-led salmon conservation and restoration projects.

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Student Bursaries

The Stewardship Community Bursary program awards $2,500 bursaries to post-secondary students in B.C. and the Yukon who are passionate about salmon conservation and restoration.

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Climate Emergency Work 

We provide fast-tracked funding for urgent restoration and emergency mitigation actions that help salmon through climate emergencies and natural hazards like drought, wildfires, flooding, and landslides.

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Game Changers

We work with partners to drive forward-looking, game-changer projects that dramatically accelerate salmon recovery and resilience. These efforts are unique in their scope, scale, innovation, and positive impact on salmon.

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Over $35 Million Mobilized for Salmon

Over three decades of dedicated support, thousands of community-led projects funded, and dozens of emerging salmon leaders empowered across B.C. and the Yukon.

“A tremendous depth of salmon knowledge exists within First Nations and local stewardship groups. That’s what the PSF’s Community Salmon Program has always been about: investing in grassroots conservation and empowering local stewards to make an impact in their watersheds and communities.”

Michael Meneer,
President and CEO, Pacific Salmon Foundation

Thank you to our funders

The Salmon Conservation Stamp — a decal anglers must purchase with their tidal waters licence to retain salmon — is the primary funding source for PSF’s Community Salmon Program. Every year, PSF stewards the proceeds on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and amplifies them with generous donations to drive community-led salmon conservation. Thank you to the recreational fishers whose stamp purchases make this work possible and to the generous foundations, corporate organizations, and individual donors who help us scale our impact. PSF also thanks the Province of BC for their generous support of many of these projects.

Taking Action for Salmon

Restoring Flows for Sockeye 

Big Silver River flows into Harrison Lake, part of traditional Sts’ailes First Nation territories. Debris from the November 2021 floods cut the river’s right arm off from the lake as summer water levels dropped, threatening a sockeye population already in decline. In 2024, PSF and DFO provided $41,000 through PSF’s Climate Emergency Fund to reconnect the channel, restoring flows in time for the returning run.

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A Watershed-Wide Recovery 

Located 20 km northeast of Tofino in Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation territory, the Tranquil Creek watershed’s historical Chinook and coho salmon populations were devastated by industrial logging and now climate change. PSF has provided over $271,000 in grants to support massive, long-term watershed-wide restoration efforts spearheaded by the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and Redd Fish Restoration Society.

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Saving Stranded Salmon

In early September 2023, tens of thousands of returning pink salmon were stranded by a 300-metre-long section of xʔəl̓ilwətaʔɬ (Indian River) that dried up during an extreme drought. With zero rain in the forecast, this migration bottleneck could have become a mass fish die-off. With support from PSF’s rapid response drought team, crews quickly repaired the barrier within days, restoring river flows. More than 18,000 pink salmon made it upstream.

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News and Stories

Comment: Norway’s lesson for B.C.’s wild salmon

PSF’s Michael Meneer urges Canada to uphold its commitment to ban on open-net pens in British Columbia by 2029. Leading up to Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s visit to Ottawa, Canada's decision to ban open-net pens in British Columbia presents an opportunity to innovate our industry.
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Community Bursary Spotlight: Liam Archbold

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Liam Archbold is an emerging salmon leader, B.Sc. student at BCIT, and active volunteer with Mossom Creek Hatchery and Education Centre in Port Moody. He is also a proud recipient of PSF’s Stewardship Community Bursary. Every year, this program awards multiple $2,500 bursaries to post-secondary students in B.C. and the Yukon pursuing careers related to Pacific salmon.
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Where to spot salmon: Metro Vancouver and Sea-to-Sky

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Fall in Metro Vancouver signals the start of salmon spawning season for coho and chum, as well as pinks in odd-numbered years. Here are some of our favourite public spots to view spawning salmon. We've included family-friendly locations with…
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