Ecosystems around the Columbia Basin will receive a major boost thanks to a new Ecosystem Enhancement Program announced by Columbia Basin Trust.
The program will run for five years with a budget of $10 million.
The goal is to help maintain and improve the ecological health and native biodiversity in a variety of ecosystems, such as wetlands, fish habitat, forests and grasslands. While the Trust has other programs that support ecosystem health—including its Environment Grants program—this new initiative is unique because it will carry out large-scale, on-the-ground projects with significant benefits.
“The intent of this new Ecosystem Enhancement Program is to have a meaningful and measurable impact in supporting and strengthening ecosystem health in the Basin,” said Johnny Strilaeff, Columbia Basin Trust President and Chief Executive Officer. “Based on input from Basin residents, one of our strategic priorities is to support healthy, diverse and functioning ecosystems. This program will bring benefits to fish, wildlife and their habitats that endure into the future.”
The Trust will identify projects focused on enhancement, restoration and conservation by seeking input from community groups, First Nations representatives and government experts, and reviewing existing regional plans and research. Through a request for proposal processes, the Trust will work with organizations to implement the selected projects over the next five years.
Learn more at ourtrust.org/ecosystems.