by Nicole Trigg, Kootenay Conservation Program
Kootenay Conservation Program, on behalf of the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK), is now accepting proposals for the Kootenay Lake Local Conservation Fund (KLLCF).
The KLLCF was established by the RDCK in 2014 by referendum and property owners in Electoral Areas A, D and E pay a parcel tax of $15 per parcel per year towards this dedicated fund, which each year provides financial support to local projects that help conserve and restore the area’s prized natural surroundings.
Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), which works in partnership with the RDCK to administer the KLLCF, is encouraging conservation groups operating in the participating Areas A, D and E to submit funding proposals for 2019 projects. The deadline for applications is November 1st, 2018. If you have a project idea that can benefit fish and wildlife or other conservation values in the region, please contact the KCP Program Manager. Community groups and associations can partner with an eligible non-profit to qualify.
“The Kootenay Lake Local Conservation Fund is an excellent resource for local organizations that have projects helping support fish and wildlife habitat, open spaces and water quality,” says Juliet Craig, Program Manager for the KCP.
In 2018, four projects successfully received KLLCF funding: grizzly bear conservation through Grizzly Bear Coexistence Solutions, water monitoring of north Kootenay Lake by the Kootenay Centre for Forestry Alternatives, Western toad conservation in the Fish and Bear Lakes area by the Valhalla Wilderness Society, and bat conservation on private land through the Kootenay Community Bat Project.
Local conservation priorities have been identified in a KLLCF Guidance Document that the RDCK commissioned in the spring. To learn more about the KLLCF, how to apply, and conservation priorities from the Guidance Document, come to one of the open houses taking place from 7-9 pm on the following dates: September 18 at the Kokanee Creek Park Visitor’s Centre, September 26 (hosted by Friends of the Lardeau River) at Argenta Hall, and September 27 at the Boswell Memorial Hall.
For more information and how to apply, please visit https://kootenayconservation.ca/conservation-funds/kllcf. For phone or email inquiries, please contact KCP Program Manager Juliet Craig at 250-352-2260 or juliet@kootenayconservation.ca.