Four groups received grant money through the North Okanagan Conservation Fund

Photo: File

The Okanagan Nation Alliance was awarded $28,000 to develop interpretive signs for the Okanagan Rail Trail.

The Regional District of North Okanagan has handed out $78,000 in grant money to four groups through the North Okanagan Conservation Fund.

The projects are:

• The Okanagan Nation Alliance was awarded $28,000 to develop interpretive signs for the Okanagan Rail Trail to increase the awareness of the importance of water and promote sustainable water practices.
• The Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society was awarded $25,000 to work with landowners in the Conservation Fund area to create landowner management agreements to improve stewardship for 600 acres of wildlife habitat, complete three habitat restoration projects and conduct two wildlife habitat enhancement workshops.
• The North Okanagan Naturalist Club was awarded $16,000 to conduct a comprehensive bird count for Swan Lake to update research that was last completed 20 years ago.
• The Okanagan Fisheries Foundation was awarded $9,000 to develop a rapid environmental assessment tool – A Healthy Watershed Checklist for BX Creek. This tool will be used to identify and assess the key restoration sites along BX Creek.

“The purpose of the fund is to provide local financial support for projects that will contribute to the conservation of our valuable natural areas and help restore and protect a healthy environment. We were happy to see the quality and variety in the selected projects in the first year of this grant program,” said Kevin Acton, RDNO chairperson.

The North Okanagan Conservation Fund is a dedicated source of funding for the specific purpose of undertaking environmental conservation projects. This Fund helps communities ensure the sustainability of the environment and protect quality of life now and for the future.

The participating areas include Electoral Areas, the City of Armstrong and the Village of Lumby.

For a project to be eligible for funding, it must take place in one or more of these areas. The next grant intake period will take place in September 2021, so potential applicants are encouraged to start planning now.