Funds Announced For Campbell River And Comox Valley Fish And Wildlife Projects

Hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding from the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program will be heading to several different projects in Campbell River and the Comox Valley.

Some of the cash will help to conserve the entire headwaters of Morrison Creek near Courtenay. $325,000 is going towards the Comox Valley Land Trust’s purchase of important conservation land on private property.

The 714-acre parcel is home to many large mammals native to Vancouver Island—such as elk, bear, deer, beavers, and bats—as well as a diversity of birds, several species of salmon, and 14 Species at risk.

Also, a group of endangered Vancouver Island marmots will be relocated to Strathcona Park this year to continue a successful recovery program. Between two and six marmots will be moved from a Mount Washington colony to support the growing Strathcona Park population.

BC Hydro’s Stephen Watson says about $173,000 will go towards the Campbell River watershed. Funds were awarded to the ongoing efforts for gravel placement within the Campbell River for fish habitat, marmots in the upper watershed, and restoration work within the estuary.

Greenways Land Trust received funding support for a multi-year project that aims to help restore the ecological function in the Campbell River Watershed by managing invasive plants.

Guardians of Mid-Island Estuaries Society received funding to support a multi-year eco-cultural restoration project that builds on recent efforts in the Campbell River estuary and will reduce erosion, providing greater resiliency during peak flows.

In 2023-2024, the FWCP is providing $2.4 million for 28 projects approved by the Coastal Region board to address priorities outlined in watershed-based action plans.