Monday July 25, 2022
Rossland News —
The Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) recently announced successful grant recipients for this year and next, which included two nearby projects.
Led by the Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society with $18,000 in funding from the FWCP, this multi-year project aims to increase kokanee fry survival by focusing on collecting data and restoring habitat for declining shore-spawning kokanee in the West Arm of Kootenay Lake. In addition, potential sites for future restoration will be identified using on-the-ground monitoring and drone images.
Like all FWCP-funded projects, this project was approved by the Columbia Region board and aligns with regional action plans, which identify local priorities and projects eligible for FWCP funding. This habitat restoration project for shore-spawning kokanee is one of 40 projects in the Columbia region — 10 fish and 30 wildlife — approved from a $6.1 million funding pot.
Another project, led by the Salmo Watershed Streamkeepers Society, focuses on monitoring West Kootenay bull trout populations using a $15,000 FWCP grant.