Several fish and wildlife projects in the Okanagan, including the troubled Middle Vernon Creek in Lake Country, have received funding for improvement projects this year, with a $412,000 contribution made by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation (HCTF) for conservation projects within the region.
The environmental granting organization announced last week that it will be providing funding for seven projects exclusive to the Okanagan, and several others with activities taking place within the region.
Work on Middle Vernon Creek, the most important spawning tributary for Wood Lake, will receive a boost with a $65,875 grant to go towards a Middle Vernon Creek Action Plan.
The project is said to help to “Ensure sustainability of Canada’s top kokanee fishery by securing a consistent water supply for the primary spawning tributary, Middle Vernon Creek.”
The Foundation is also funding restoration and outreach activities at Mission Creek in Kelowna with a $50,907 grant.
Also included among the approved projects is the Penticton Creek Restoration Initiative which received an $85,000 grant to develop a restoration plan for the severely channelized waterway so that it can provide both flood protection and spawning habitat for fish species that would have historically occurred there.
Most of the money HCTF uses to fund these projects comes from conservation surcharges on fishing and hunting licences.
“The foundation is a concrete symbol of the user’s investment in the resource,” said HCTF chair, Harvey Andrusak. “Few people realize how much of the critical conservation work taking place in this province is funded by anglers, hunters, guide outfitters and trappers. We all benefit – these projects improve conditions for a tremendous range of species, not just those targeted by contributors.”
