Eight important conservation projects were recently approved by the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK) to receive funding from the RDCK Local Conservation Fund in 2025. A local government service that creates a dedicated fund for conservation, the RDCK Local Conservation Fund distributes funding to projects in Electoral Areas A, D, E, F and H that are approved by RDCK Directors each year.
Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), Wildsight Golden, and Shuswap Band brought together diverse perspectives from the area to discuss priority actions for stewardship of local fish and wildlife, and to identify partnerships moving forward. At the Golden Conservation Action Forum Check-in Meeting last month, over 40 biologists and representatives from various local stewardship organizations, First Nations, and other agencies came together to review the progress being made on the five priority actions identified during a previous regional forum hosted in 2020.
Nine important conservation projects were recently approved by the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) to receive funding from the Columbia Valley Local Conservation Fund (CVLCF) in 2025. A local government service that creates a dedicated fund for conservation, the CVLCF distributes funding each year to eligible projects taking place in the area between Spillimacheen and Canal Flats that are approved by the service areas’ RDEK Directors.
With funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Kootenay Connect Priority Places initiative, Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP) has brought in millions of dollars to support monitoring and restoration work throughout the Kootenays. In 2024, Kootenay Connect Priority Places funding continued to support diverse species at risk projects in key ecologically important areas including the Creston Valley, Slocan Valley, and Duncan Lardeau.
Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), a partnership of over 85 organizations, leveraged significant funding in 2024 towards land stewardship in the Columbia Valley that, in turn, supports community well-being. With funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Kootenay Connect Priority Places initiative, KCP has brought in millions of dollars to support monitoring and restoration work throughout the Kootenays, including the Columbia Valley.
The Columbia Valley has a new conservation area. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has added the Geddes Creek Conservation Area (just outside of Radium Hot Springs) to its network of protected areas in the Columbia Valley. Geddes Creek covers 193 hectares (477 acres) right next to Kootenay National Park. It begins just two km from Radium and stretches north almost to Edgewater.
Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP), a partnership of over 85 organizations, leveraged significant funding in 2024 towards land stewardship in the East Kootenay that, in turn, supports community well-being. With funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Kootenay Connect Priority Places initiative, KCP has brought in millions of dollars to support monitoring and restoration work throughout the Kootenays, including the Cranbrook and Kimberley area.
The Kootenay Conservation Program (KCP) spent significant funding in 2024 towards land stewardship in the Creston Valley. With funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada for the Kootenay Connect Priority Places initiative, millions of dollars have supported monitoring and restoration work throughout the Kootenays. KCP is a partnership of over 85 organizations, which collectively have a huge impact on wildlife and habitat conservation in the region.
On October 10, 2024, the Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) and its partners launched the Kawartha Resilient Lands Collaborative at a well-attended kickoff event in Peterborough, Ontario. The new Regional Conservation and Climate Partnership (RCCP) looks to bridge sectoral divides among people and organizations working in land, water, climate, and conservation. KLT looked to the Kootenay Conservation Program, the Thompson-Nicola Conservation Collaborative, and Corridor Appalachien as inspiring landscape-scale initiatives working in the Canadian context.
Over 50 people gathered in Rossland on October 4 & 5 for KCP's 2024 Fall Gathering on the theme of "Stewarding for Biodiversity."
