PROJECT SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
 
 

Wildlife Habitat Canada (WHC) invests in habitat conservation through highly successful initiatives that are associated with our grant program. The money invested by WHC to support grants is derived from the purchase of the Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp by waterfowl hunters and stamp collectors, and transferred from Environment Canada to WHC through a Contribution Agreement.

In fall 2007, Environment Canada (EC) had a public consultation on the future of the Wildlife Habitat Conservation Stamp program and the management of the revenues generated by the stamp program for habitat conservation. WHC is extremely pleased with the overwhelming support evolving from the consultation process, as well as the December 2007 decision of the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment, to approve the continuation of the stamp program and its relationship with WHC.

The existing stamp Contribution Agreement expired on March 31, 2008 and WHC is currently working with EC staff to finalize the new stamp Contribution Agreement for the 2008/09 fiscal year. We anticipate that the new EC/WHC Contribution Agreement will be finalized soon and WHC is now accepting grant funding applications for the coming year based on the information provided below.

Project Eligibility
Within its available budget, WHC will support projects with significant partner participation that:

  • Focus on direct (on the ground) interventions related to habitat conservation, restoration or enhancement:
    • for waterfowl
    • in wetlands, or
    • in areas of importance for wetlands-associated species;

    or

  • Deal with (wetland) habitat acquisition/securement for waterfowl or wetlands-associated species (where applicable, such projects should allow continued access for migratory game bird hunting);

    or

  • Are research proposals that are supported by the scientific or technical committees associated with one of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan Habitat Joint Ventures in Canada;

    or

  • Promote the contribution of hunters to habitat conservation;

    or

  • Support habitat conservation networking activities and events, including national or regional stewardship activities.

In addition, other considerations that will be taken into account by WHC’s Board of Directors when reviewing grant funding applications include:

  • Whether projects contribute to an equitable geographic distribution of WHC support across the country over a broad range of time;
  • Assurance that no single project will exceed 20% of the total available WHC grant funding in a given year, implying a limit of about $200,000 for 2008/09; and
  • Assurance that projects should be substantially complete by the end of the fiscal year in which they are approved.

Grant Application Process
If you are considering submitting a grant funding application to WHC, please note that we prefer to receive a brief outline of your project proposal (e.g. project activities, partners, anticipated total project cost, potential funding request to WHC, etc.) for initial consideration. The proposal should be forwarded to Claudia Latsch. Then, if your project proposal is deemed to be eligible to receive funding from WHC, we will ask you to submit to us a completed Grant Funding Application Form for 2008/09 that provides more details on your project for review by WHC's Board of Directors.

WHC’s Board of Directors reviewed grant funding applications for 2008/09 at their meeting in late June 2008. The next opportunity for WHC's Board of Directors to review grant funding applications is expected to be in January 2009, regarding grants to be implemented in the 2009/2010 fiscal year. Grant funding applications to be considered at WHC's January 2009 Board of Directors meeting should be received by WHC by November 1, 2008.

Grant Funding
Spring 2008 grant funding applicants will be notified of the WHC Board of Directors’ funding decisions in July 2008. Recipients of WHC grants will subsequently receive a grant agreement for 2008/09 for signature.

Please note that projects approved for funding by WHC’s Board of Directors will be approved in principle until the stamp Contribution Agreement for 2008/09 has been signed (WHC requires a signed stamp Contribution Agreement to be in effect before the organization can disburse any grant funding in 2008/09).

If you would like further information about project eligibility for support under WHC's grant program, please contact Claudia Latsch.

We appreciate your interest in WHC's grant program.