Grants Fund Annual Report 2017/18 For the period of April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018 Alberta Conservation Association – Grant Program Annual Report 2017/18 TABLE OF CONTENTS Grant Program 2017/18 Key Program Highlights 1 Executive Summary 1 Annual Report of Activities and Synopsis of Funding Recipient Projects 2 - 8 Introduction 2 The Funding Cycle 2 Funding Eligibility 3 Major Funding Goals and Priorities 2017/18 3 Proposal Review Process 5 Funding Allocations 5 Grant Project's Contribution to the ACA Funding Priorities 6 Synopsis of Approved Projects 7 ACA Grants Program Project Summaries 9 - 56 ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants 9 ACA Research Grants 46 APPENDIX: Projects in Relation to Grants ACA's Mission Funding Priorities 2017/18 57 - 61 ACA conserves, protects and enhances fish, wildlife ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants and habitat for Albertans to enjoy, value and use. Funding Priorities 57 ACA Research Grants Funding Priorities 60 ACA's Vision An Alberta with an abundance and diversity of fish, wildlife and their habitats, where future generations continue to use, enjoy and value our rich outdoor heritage. Alberta Conservation Association #101- 9 Chippewa Road Sherwood Park, AB, T8A 6J7 Front Cover Photo: Volunteers Dan Tulik and John Marple angling for Arctic grayling Amy MacKinven, Grants Program Administrator Photo: Paul Fitt Email: [email protected] Relating to the project: Conserving and Restoring Arctic Grayling in the VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT Upper Pembina River Watershed – Habitat Restoration Planning www.ab-conservation.com Northern Lights Fly Fishers/TUC Edmonton, 020-00-90-197 iii Executive Summary Grant Program Funded by the province’s hunters and anglers, ACA’s Grants Program supports annually a variety of projects both small and large which benefit Alberta’s wildlife and fish populations, as well 2017/18 as the habitat they depend on. Operational since 2002, the ACA Grants (formerly known as the Grant Eligible Conservation Fund or GECF), as of the 2017/18 funding round, has provided just under $16.7 million to 1,078 projects carried out in Alberta by the conservation community. Furthermore, the funding provided by the Grants continues to leverage approximately six times its value in conservation dollars, estimated at approximately $100 million— KEY PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS money that has been directly used for conservation work and more recently to support the recruitment and retention of hunters, for the Grants 2017/18: anglers, and trappers in Alberta. These popular grant programs received a record 174 applications The ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants received a (147 to Conservation, Community, and Education Grants and 27 record-breaking 147 funding applications requesting a total dollar value to the ACA Research Grants) requesting just over $2.7 million in just under $2.1 million. A total of $970,056 was allocated to 81 projects. 2017/18. A total of $1.3 million was allocated to 99 projects (81 Conservation, Community, and Education projects and 18 ACA The ACA Research Grants received 27 funding applications requesting Research Grants projects). The aim of this report is to document $610,513. A total of $329,990 was allocated to 18 projects. the procedures for 2017/18 and to provide an overview of activities and results of projects financially supported through the ACA Grants (the Conservation, Community, and Education Grants and Project budgets ranged from $800 to $44,000. the ACA Research Grants) in 2017/18. 1 Alberta Conservation Association – Grant Program Annual Report 2017/18 Annual Report of Activities and Synopsis of Funding Recipient Projects Introduction The Funding Cycle Alberta Conservation Association (ACA) believes it is our The funding priorities, guidelines, and application forms were responsibility to join and support the collective effort to conserve, made available to the public October 12, 2016 via the ACA website, protect, and enhance Alberta’s biological natural resources. One by email to existing contacts, and by environmental list servers. of the ways in which ACA does this is to make grants to other Details of the 2017/18 funding cycle are in the table below: members of the conservation community. The projects supported by ACA’s grants are intended to enhance and supplement ACA 2017/18 FUNDING CYCLE DATES activities, and aid in the delivery of ACA’s Vision, Mission, and Strategic Business Plan. ACA has been awarding conservation Posting of the Guidelines and Application Forms October 12, 2016 grants since 1997, with the GECF process starting in 2002/03. As on ACA’s website of the 2017/18 funding round, the Grants program has granted Window to receive completed ACA RG applications November 1, 2016 – approximately $16.7 million dollars since 2002/03 to 1,078 December 1, 2016 projects implemented in Alberta; these projects have leveraged an estimated $100 million in conservation work across the province. Window to receive completed CCEG applications January 1-25, 2017 After the project selection process, a total of $970,056 was granted to 81 ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants (CCEG) ACA RG adjudication meeting February 12, 2017 and $329,990 was granted to 18 ACA Research Grants (ACA RG) projects. This document provides an overview of the activities of CCEG adjudication meeting February 23, 2017 the CCEG and the ACA RG for the 2017/18 funding cycle. ACA Board approval and notification of applicants We have some impressive results and outreach coming from the as to funding status End of March 2017 ACA Grants supported projects in 2017/18: over 5,300 youth and Cooperative Project Agreements signed, initial novices participated in fishing, archery, hunting, and trapping payments made, and project work begins From April 1, 2017 activities across Alberta, approximately 11,000 youth and their families were involved in outdoor conservation activities, and Interim reports due and second payments made (if required) September 1, 2017 outreach activities educating Albertans about conservation- related issues is estimated as at least another 70,000 people. Final reports due March 15, 2018 Over 2,300 Albertans dedicated their time as mentors to take out youth and novice outdoorspeople. Three hundred and eleven Projects end and final payments made (if required) March 31, 2018 teachers and instructors were trained in various outdoor pursuits, taking programs such as Hunter Education or Fishing Education. At least 700 sites have been improved in collaboration with land owners and are now managed with more sustainable practices thereby improving riparian and ecologically sensitive areas. This year, about 660 bird or bat boxes were built and installed. Thousands of pounds of invasive species have been removed from sensitive areas. The ACA RG focused on various topics, including monitoring the status of Threatened species like sharp-tail grouse leks and Canada warbler breeding, and wildlife diseases threatening Alberta wildlife such as Chronic Wasting Disease in deer and White Nose Syndrome in bats. These are just a few examples, in the Projects Summaries section of this report, you can read about all the achievements of each of the projects that received funding in 2017/18. 2 Alberta Conservation Association – Grant Program Annual Report 2017/18 Funding Eligibility Major Funding Priorities The ACA Grants (CCEG and ACA RG) support a wide variety of Grants 2017/18 applicants and project types. Anyone with a suitable project This text is taken from Section C of the Project Submission working in Alberta can apply for funding, with the exception Guidelines for Funding 2017-2018. of ACA staff, Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) staff, and individuals without the proper insurance. Certain project types Funding Priorities for the Conservation, Community and and budget items are not covered by the CCEG and the ACA RG, Education Grants for example land acquisition, emergency funding, or overhead All applicants to the ACA Conservation, Community and Education costs. Since fiscal year 2009/10, funding priorities have been used Grants should be aware that this grant is fully funded by the by the Grants to guide applicants in drafting their applications. The hunters and anglers of Alberta. All proposals should be able to funding priorities for both the CCEG and the ACA RG stayed the demonstrate how the proposed project will aid ACA in meeting same this year: the CCEG had the same seven funding priorities and its mission of conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife the ACA RG had the same 12 funding priorities as used in 2016/17. and habitat for all Albertans to enjoy, value and use. To help See "Major Funding Priorities Grants 2017/18" for the full list. These direct potential applicants the following list of priority areas has grants do accept applications that do not relate to the suggested been developed. While the ACA Conservation, Community and areas; however, projects that address one or more of these priority Education Grants will accept applications that do not relate to areas have a better chance of being funded than those that do these suggested areas, projects that address one or more of these not. The eligibility criteria and funding priorities can be found in priority areas will have a higher probability of being funded than full in the documents “Project Submission Guidelines for Funding those that do not. 2017/18: ACA Conservation, Community, and Education Grants” and “Project Submission Guidelines for Funding in 2017–2018: ACA 1. Habitat enhancement activities specifically listed on Research Grants” (these documents are available from the Grants provincial recovery plans for Alberta’s endangered species (to be done in cooperation with recovery teams). (See: Project Administrator). aep.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/species-at-risk/species-at- The CCEG offers small grants for projects with budgets of $3,000 risk-publications-web-resources/default.aspx ) and under and large grants for projects with budgets over $3,000.