Four watershed governance projects on Vancouver Island are sharing in nearly five-million dollars being distributed throughout the province from the Watershed Security Fund.
The money will contribute to improving and rehabilitating communities’ resilience to climate change, regional food security, as helping safeguard fish, and local habitats.
The Cowichan Watershed Board is receiving $400,000 to enhance its ability to support local leaders in decision-making for the health of the Cowichan and Koksilah Watersheds.
The funding will help support the work of the watershed board, expert staff, technical working groups, and the community to solve problems using Quw’utsun and western knowledge and science.
One priority is expanding a team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth to become leaders in watershed stewardship and collaborative governance.
Malahat Nation is receiving 50-thousand dollars to explore the development of a Malahat-led watershed governance plan and engage with other First Nations communities, local stakeholders, community members and experts to gather insights and recommendations.
The Nation will collaborate with the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, the Cowichan Valley Regional District and waterworks district, as well as interest groups such as the Shawnigan Basin Society and private forest land holders.
The Ditidaht First Nation is receiving $145,000, and is partnering with the Nature-Based Solutions Foundation to plan for establishing Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas within its territory.
The goal is to safeguard critical watersheds, old-growth forests, and culturally significant areas, ensuring the preservation of Ditidaht environment and cultural heritage.
A part of the plan is to develop sustainable and diversified economic initiatives to move away from old-growth logging revenues.
The Salmon Parks Stewardship Society will be receiving $150,000.
The SSPS was formed by the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation Council of Chiefs to restore wild salmon populations through the recovery of key watersheds in Nootka Sound.
As many as eight technician trainees will be recruited and given peer-based training to do cultural and ecological mapping within the salmon parks.
For youth who are interested in the STEM aspect of the work, training to process, organize and maintain datasets will also be provided by SPSS.
The funds are for the first intake of applications to the Watershed Security Fund in June.
The fund was established by the BC government on March 6, 2023, with an initial contribution of $100 million to create a permanent endowment fund to a permanent revenue stream that meets the demand for funding support from across the province.
