Aboriginal Funds for Species at Risk - Aboriginal Capacity Building Fund
The Aboriginal Funds for Species at Risk play an important role in the recovery of species at risk on Aboriginal lands. The goal is to contribute to the conservation and protection of Canada’s biodiversity by supporting species recovery planning, habitat protection, and overall conservation and capacity building initiatives by Aboriginal people in Canada. Specific outcomes include:
- Strengthen capacity in Aboriginal communities for SARA implementation;
- Mitigate threats to SAR, be they individuals or populations;
- Protect critical and important habitat of SAR, and support their recovery;
- Help gather and conserve Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge (ATK) on SAR and, where appropriate, to help ensure its use in the development of recovery objectives; and
- Support the implementation of additional priority activities described in recovery strategies or action plans, where these are in place or under development, and meet the general eligibility requirements of this program.
Aquatic proposal contact:
Louvi Nurse - Pacific Region AFSAR coordinator, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
604.666.4565 louvi.nurse@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Terrestrial proposal contact:
Randal Lake - Pacific and Yukon Region AFSAR coordinator, Environment Canada
604.940.4646 afsar.pyr@ec.gc.ca
The Aboriginal Funds for Species at Risk play an important role in the recovery of species at risk on Aboriginal lands. The goal is to contribute to the conservation and protection of Canada’s biodiversity by supporting species recovery planning, habitat protection, and overall conservation and capacity building initiatives by Aboriginal people in Canada. The key objective is to encourage meaningful involvement of Aboriginal people and communities in the implementation of the Species at Risk Act.
The underlying objectives of the AFSAR Program are to:
- Support and promote the conservation and recovery of SAR and their habitats; including culturally and/or economically important species for Aboriginal peoples; and
- Support the engagement and cooperation of Aboriginal peoples in the recovery of SAR, their habitats, and SARA processes.
The Aboriginal Capacity Building (ACB) component of AFSAR is designed to support Aboriginal communities and organizations across Canada build capacity to participate actively in the conservation and recovery of species protected under SARA, and SAR designated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The ACBF enables Aboriginal communities and organizations to acquire, develop, and use knowledge and skills so that they can play an active role in the implementation of SARA. Capacity building includes skill (education, training or learning) and tool (systems or mechanisms) development, and information (data) management.
Examples of activities eligible for funding under the ACBF:
Communications, outreach and education
- Community-based discussion meetings
- Development of SAR-based education programs, formative activities and related material (e.g., delivery of technical training, workshops or courses, and development of manuals)
- Development of SAR-based information packages (e.g., pamphlets, posters, etc.)
Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge / Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ATK/TEK)
- Coordination of ATK/TEK in conservation planning and recovery processes
- ATK/TEK surveys and interviews about SAR and their habitats
- Community-based ATK/TEK discussion meetings
- ATK/TEK compilation and storage (see data management below)
- Development and dissemination of ATK/TEK-related materials about SAR
Conservation planning and implementation
- Participation in SAR conservation and recovery planning processes
- Development and implementation of conservation plans and tools
- Compilation, dissemination and application of resource/land use guidelines and best management practices
Monitoring and data collection
- Community-based monitoring initiatives
- Collection and management of data about SAR and their habitats (e.g., surveys, inventories, etc.)
- Mapping, analysis or monitoring of the presence and population density of SAR and their habitats
- Development and maintenance of knowledge inventories and databases
- Listing and compilation of key knowledge gaps (e.g., species, areas, etc.)
Funding usually ranges from $10,000 to $50,000 per year. Projects may extend over more than one year.
As in the past, to be eligible for funding, proposed projects must target species that have been assessed by the Committee on the Status of Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) as endangered, threatened or of Special Concern, priority being given to proposals that target SARA-listed Endangered and Threatened species. This includes species that are in the assessment process.
New this year is that any species which the Governor in Council has considered but declined to list on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act is now ineligible for funding under the SAR funding programs. However, these species are eligible during re-assessment by COSEWIC.
Capacity building projects can happen on or outside reserves, while the Critical Habitat Protection Fund (see below) is intended to protect and recover critical habitat of species at risk on Aboriginal lands only.
