Coastal Restoration Fund Webcast Fisheries Protection Program

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To preserve and restore Canada's ecosystem…

• The Coastal Restoration Fund (CRF) was established in 2017 under Canada's Ocean Protection Plan and provides $75M over 5 years for coastal aquatic habitat restoration projects that:
  • Address the impacts of historical development;
  • Mitigate the results of increased marine shipping;
  • Contribute to the recovery of species that are considered; threatened, endangered or at risk; and
  • Build local capacity to restore and maintain coastal habitats
• The program can fully fund a project (i.e., provide 100% stacking)

To address coastal restoration priorities the CRF will…

• Facilitate partnerships that develop and implement coastal restoration plans, identify restoration priorities, and address threats to marine species. CRF projects will:
  • Contribute to strategic planning and respond to restoration priorities
  • Rehabilitate aquatic habitats
  • Contribute to long-term sustainability
  • Encourage and build local community capacity

CRF Support Funding To Date…

• Following the CRF's initial public call for proposal, May 2017, DFO
  • Received 163 Expressions of Interest requesting over $310M in funding
  • Identified 76 projects as CRF eligible projects
  • Funded 32 projects worth $46.9M
• Based on available funds and drawn from the program's over programming list
  • 7 additional projects were approved for $8.19M over 4 years
• $4.5M of the CRF funding has also been allocated to the Marine Mammal Response Fund
• Many of the CRF projects include Indigenous participation as the lead, or contributor to the planning, development and/or implementation of the initiative

Approach to the CRF's Current Call for Proposals…

• CRF has funded 39 projects totalling $55.09 M nationally from the first Expression of Interest process
• $13.6M in funding over 3 years remains, a more targeted approach is required to support as many projects as possible. This includes:
  • Focusing on regional priority areas, that have the greatest strategic value
  • Prioritizing regional activities with the greatest benefit to specific coastal ecosystems threats
  • Reducing project size and funding in order to support more initiatives

What groups are eligible to CRF…

• CRF is open to :
  • Indigenous organizations (e.g., Indigenous communities, Tribal Councils, Governments of self-governing First Nations, Indigenous conservation groups)
  • Community based organizations (i.e., Non-profit organizations situated in municipalities or regions)
  • Non-profit organizations (including environmental non-governmental organizations and stewardship bodies)
  • Academic researchers/institutions

What activities are eligible under CRF…

• To support coastal restoration, the CRF has identified a wide range of eligible activities linked to coastal restoration activities or plan development, including:
  • feasibility and diagnostic studies, environmental evaluations, mapping
  • activities that rebuild, restore and rehabilitate aquatic habitats
  • skills development including management and technical training
  • monitoring of and reporting on projects
  • construction, architectural, engineering, design, and maintenance activities

What costs are eligible under the CRF…

The following costs are eligible to CRF reimbursement. They include, but are not limited to:

• professional and technical services
• training
• construction and related costs
• purchase or rental of machinery and equipment
• materials and supplies
• rental of facilities
• salaries and wages and employer mandatory benefits of non-core personnel
• travel, including accommodation, meals, and allowances
• insurance expenses related to funded activities under the Agreement
• hosting of conferences, workshops and meetings directly related to the project
• maintenance and repair
• any GST/HST that is not reimbursable by Canada Revenue Agency and any PST not reimbursable by the provinces
• administrative overhead up to 10% of eligible costs of the project

What is out of scope of the CRF program…

• Activities and expenses not related to coastal restoration are considered ineligible and will be triaged out. Ineligible expenses/activities include:
  • Research or planning not related to coastal restoration work
  • Restoration of habitats in support of the development of new commercial and recreational fisheries
  • Human resource costs for core/salaried personnel
  • Land purchase/securement
  • Regulatory requirements (e.g., offsetting, authorizations/permits)
  • Stocking of fish
  • Financial audit costs, where the recipient wants to audit its own book
  • Communication (other than CRF signage)
  • Shoreline stabilization that is not associated with fish habitat restoration
  • Contaminated site remediation
  • Marine debris removal

CRF Regional Priorities Outlined…

• Canada's coastal aquatic environments face different challenges and threats
• This round of funding provides an opportunity to focus on key regional priorities:
  • certain regions have identified priority activities that apply to their regional priority areas; while
  • others, the priority activities apply to specific regional priority areas
• The following tables clarifies the regional focus for this round of funding

CRF Priority Areas Linked to Specific Activities…

How will CRF projects be evaluated…

• All projects will be evaluated based on their:
  • Ecosystem Values: defined by the benefits of a project to aquatic species and ecosystems
  • Technical / Program Specifics: meeting the requirements and eligibility of the program
  • Strategic and regional Values: meeting DFO priorities (e.g., regional coastal restoration priorities, Indigenous reconciliation, community participation)
• CRF will give priority to projects that:
• address specific regional coastal restoration areas and activities
• include Indigenous partners
• engage a broad number of partners
• multiyear (up to three years)
• between $100,000 to $500,000 per year for three years

What are the steps in a CRF project…

• The program takes into consideration a project's full lifecycle, which includes:
  1. Expression of Interest – Eligible groups submit project applications
  2. Project Review and Approval – All projects are assessed on 3 core elements
  3. Contribution Agreement – Recipients of approved projects will work with DFO to develop contribution agreements that outline the parameters of their project – including an additional WebEx presentation on how to fill out the agreement
  4. Monitoring and Reporting –  Recipients provide regular reporting on project progress and outcomes that is monitored by DFO.
  5. Long-term sustainability –  Following the end of the CRF project, recipients continue maintaining, and monitoring project sites

The CRF's timeframe…

• The timeline for this funding cycle is as follows:
  • Expression of Interest –November 1 – December 27
  • Evaluation and Funding Approval –December 28 – January 28
  • Confirmation of funded projects February 1 – March 31
  • Second WebEx Presentation to assist with development of the
  • Contribution Agreements – March – April 2019
  • Contribution Agreement Negotiations –March – May 2019

Expression of Interest Form

EXAMPLES

Guidelines for filling out the Expression of Interest

• The following slides will provide examples/samples of what is expected in the EoI
• Some general guidelines:
  • Be concise
  • Avoid including attachments
  • Provide a clear overview of your project (i.e., it does not have to be exhaustive)
  • Clarify how your project meets the program's criteria and regional objectives
  • Engage DFO regional offices if you have any questions

Organization Description

• Provide a short overview of your organization. For example:
• The Pacific Conservation Foundation (PCF) is community based organization addressing environmental issues on Vancouver Island that is comprised of a team of conservationists and scientists empowered by our research to protect the lands, water and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. We use rigorous peer-reviewed science and community engagement to further our conservation objectives. We are a federally registered charity (1986) and are incorporated as a non-profit under the BC Society Act.
• Our mandate: Investigate. Inform. Inspire. We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and their habitats. Since 1986, we have made significant, measureable and inspiring progress toward our habitat protection and wildlife conservation goals.
• Our approach: As an evidence-based, conservation science organization we conduct independent scientific research and publish in prestigious scientific journals (e.g., Science, PNAS) on topics that have immediate utility for conservation and science. We work in partnership with scientists, First Nations, local communities and NGOs to build support for decisions that protect marine and terrestrial habitat on Vancouver Island's coasts.

Project Team Experience

• Provide details on the qualifications and relevant experience of your project team. For example:
  • Provide specific examples of planning and/or restoration projects that your group has been involved in, and what role you played in them – e.g.,
    
    Over the past 30 years, PCF has been involved in watershed and estuary management through assessments, restoration and enhancement of various Chinook, and other salmon species' aquatic environments (i.e., both freshwater and coastal).
  • List specific team members, with a brief description of their experience and the role they are expected to take in the project. e.g.
    
    Staff Biologist - Dr Phil has 17 years experience in coastal restoration activities, lead more the 275 individual restoration projects and completed 15 eelgrass restoration projects in southern coast of BC, including the 10 ha planting project at Gull Bay completed in July 2018. He will be in charge of project management and project design.
    Supporting staff - …

Project Location

Project Description/Proposal Background

• Provide an overview of the project including the ecological need for the project and issues you intend to address. For example:
• The Franklin Bay region has experienced significant growth in coastal development, and marine shipping over the last 30 years. The Bay is now one of the largest shipping ports in Canada. These activities, along with other commercial drivers, support a strong economy for the local community and province but also represent a risk to the health of the Bay's coastal ecosystem.
• Provide local examples of the key species targeted by your project e.g.,-- Since 1998, the extent of eelgrass cover in Franklin Bay has significantly declined, leading to cascading effects on commercially important fisheries. Eelgrass is an ecologically significant species because it provides important spawning, rearing and refuge habitat to numerous aquatic species such as …
• Provide details on each type of restoration work you are planning e.g., -- The goal of this project is to rehabilitate eelgrass habitats and associated fish and shellfish resources in the coastal waters of Franklin Bay. To achieve this goal, we will pursue three interconnected objectives: i) restore eelgrass beds, ii) mitigate barriers to fish migration in the Franklin Bay watershed, and iii) enhance fish and shellfish habitats through the deployment of artificial reefs.
• Restored eelgrass beds will mitigate impacts of climate change, ocean acidification and eutrophication. They will promote productive fisheries, benefits species at risk visiting the Bay, and increase the resilience of the entire Franklin Bay coastal ecosystem.

Project Goals, and Objectives

• Identify the project coastal restoration goals and objectives, and explain how you will accomplish them. For example
• The goal of this project is to rehabilitate healthy eelgrass beds and associated fish and shellfish resources in the coastal waters of Franklin Bay. We will pursue four objectives.
  1. Site preparation and mitigation of stressors
     • Identification of sites for the restoration of eelgrass beds and for the deployment of artificial reefs based on historical information, scientific literature, field surveys and consultation with stakeholders
  2. Habitat restoration
     • Transplants and seedling of eelgrass at numerous locations in Franklin Bay to restore the once large eelgrass cover in this area
  3. Habitat enhancement
     • Deployment of artificial reefs to enhance habitat productivity of commercially important fish and shellfish species such as Atlantic cod and American lobster and facilitate the re-colonization of adjacent restored eelgrass beds
  4. Monitoring
     • Drones and scuba diving surveys to monitor extant of eelgrass coverage

Broader Initiatives or Plan

• Is your project linked to a broader initiative or plan (e.g., coastal restoration plan, watershed plan)? If so please explain how your project supports the plan. For example:
• Yes. The PCF project is focused on improving critical habitats that are thought to be limiting Chinook productivity. The project is a continuation of the long-term effort initiated by the Great Big Ocean Management Plan, through implementation of the recommendation to implement aquatic habitat restoration at key estuaries in the migration corridor for juvenile Chinook. Further, these restoration activities directly address the broad strategy to ensure that Resident Killer Whales have an adequate and accessible food supply to allow recovery, as outlined in the Action Plan for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales in Canada, as well as the Watershed Board's Management Plan.

Aquatic Ecosystems Recovery

• Please describe how your project supports the recovery of aquatic ecosystems including information on recovery of ecological process or rehabilitation of coastal habitats – i.e., explain how your work restores specific processes. For example:
• The Franklin Bay project will support the recover of aquatic ecosystems through:
  • Estuary reclamation that provides a direct benefit to the aquatic ecosystem by both restoring natural estuarine processes (hydrology) and habitats (eelgrass).
  • Riparian restoration that restores critical riparian edge where it has been damaged increasing rearing habitat for fish and other aquatic organisms…
  • Sediment reduction that reduces turbidity in the river improving water and fish habitat quality…

Project Monitoring and Evaluation

• Describe the monitoring measures you will implement to evaluate the immediate and long-term results of your project. For example:

Habitat Improvement in the Estuary

• Monitoring of project benefits and effectiveness will be undertaken as part of a comprehensive monitoring plan, and used for adaptive management in both the eelgrass and breach components of the project. The monitoring plan will include the following:
  • Flow, velocity and sediment transport to assess results of the breaches and conditions across the estuary.
  • Water quality measurements (pH, salinity, temperature and turbidity).
  • A sediment collector at each site to measure the amount of sediment delivery and deposition in key locations across the estuary.
  • Monitoring data collected will also be used to inform adaptive management strategies as part of the CRF project and future projects in the estuary.

Ongoing Sustainability of the Project

• Describe the measures that will be carried out to ensure on-going sustainable results of the project. For example:
• A number of activities will be conducted during and following the project to ensure its long-term sustainability, including:
• a) During course of the project:
  • Training activities/skills development with local communities to transfer technical expertise
• b) Beyond project lifetime and funded by the Institute:
  • Development of new research programs at the Institute to monitor and promote eelgrass bed cover, and abundance of key commercial species in Franklin Bay
  • Reproduction of techniques use in this project to other regions in the province
  • Creation of a green crab long-term mitigation plans to control stressors for eelgrass
  • Creation of an online citizen science database to involve public in the long-term monitoring

Work Plan/Milestones & Budget

• Please identify milestones and provide a description as well as the associated estimated budget. For example:

How you can contact us…

• DFO is available to assist and address any questions related to the program:
  • Pacific (British Columbia, Yukon): DFO.PAC.CRF-FRC.PAC-MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
  • Central and Arctic (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Northwest Territories, Nunavut): DFO.CA.CRF-FRC.CA.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
  • Quebec : DFO.QUE.CRF-FRC.QUE.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
  • Newfoundland and Labrador: DFO.NL.CRF-FRC.NL.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
  • Maritimes (Nova Scotia): DFO.MAR.CRF-FRC.MAR.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
  • Gulf (New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island): DFO.GLF.CRF-FRC.GLF.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
  • National (Ottawa): CRF.FRC@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

For more information on the CRF…

• Further information on the CRF program, as well as the Expression of Interest form and guidelines can be found at: Coastal Restoration Fund
• You can also follow us on Twitter