FAQs

• The Habitat Restoration Priorities for British Columbia and Yukon (the Restoration Priorities Plan) is a document that will identify and prioritize fish habitat restoration goals, and provide a framework to prioritize restoration projects. 
• It is intended to be evergreen and adaptive. Once published, significant reviews are intended to occur, at minimum, once every 5 years. Smaller updates (e.g., updated links and sources) will be undertaken as needed.

“Pacific Region” includes British Columbia and Yukon.

The purpose of the Restoration Priorities Plan is to:

• Improve and support the long-term coordination of restoration planning,
• Help guide restoration practitioners,
• Improve decision-making for restoration project resources, and 
• Identify habitat restoration priorities across Pacific Region.

The Habitat Restoration Priorities Plan for British Columbia and Yukon will be available to the restoration community including:

• Restoration practitioners undertaking restoration projects;
• Organizations or individuals funding restoration to inform restoration planning and project selection;
• Resource managers and decision-makers during planning and development (e.g., land use planning, watershed management plans, fisheries management plans, marine spatial planning, and fish stock rebuilding plans);
• Proponents that need to develop offsetting plans or habitat banks; and
• Departmental staff to support decision-making related to conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat (e.g., during the regulatory review of project applications for authorization of works, undertakings, or activities under the Fisheries Act).

Building the Restoration Priorities Plan heavily relies on:

1. Reviewing currently available literature and scientific data such as: 
   • Restoration guidelines
   • Stock recovery or management plans
   • Species at risk recovery/action plans
2. 
   
   1. Engagement and feedback from the members of the restoration community to learn about completed and ongoing restoration projects in Pacific Region.  

The “restoration community” refers to groups and/or individuals involved in habitat restoration initiatives. This includes:

• All levels of government
• Indigenous Peoples
• Non-governmental organizations
• Community groups
• Academia
• Development proponents
• Other restoration practitioners

We are hosting workshops – virtual and in-person – to learn from the vast expertise of the community and learn about initiatives focused on habitat restoration. We will also be engaging with staff from the Province of BC and Yukon Territory with knowledge of fisheries, water resources, resource extraction and regulations to help strengthen the outcomes and utility of the plan.

• Engagement with the restoration community will help us learn what is important within the areas they live in, what issues are present, what species are important, etc. We will gather that information, and align it with restoration goals and priorities for British Columbia and Yukon with the intent to collate issues of value to communities in the Region.
• A “What we heard” summary will be in an appendix at the end of the first published document. Additional references and sources of information on important species, areas and ecosystem functions will be catalogued in Appendix 2 and 3, respectively. These appendices will be used to shape and prioritize restoration goals for British Columbia and Yukon using a transparent and repeatable decision framework. 

We will be coordinating with the Province of BC, Yukon Government, and other DFO programs that are working on hatchery renewal, harvest management, stock rebuilding, regulatory measures and enforcement to address the needs for fish and fish habitat in British Columbia and Yukon.

Yes, it is intended to inform federal funding initiatives, guide habitat restoration project selection, and improve the coordination of resources for restoration projects across Pacific Region.

Yes, funding through the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program (IHPP) will be available for communities interested in reviewing the Restoration Priorities Plan and sharing their knowledge and expertise through virtual and in-person meetings, an online survey, by email or by phone.

The applicated is available on Let’s Talk Pacific Salmon or you can email DFO.PACPSSInitiative-InitiativeSSPPAC.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca for a copy.  Please note the IHPP funding application for engagement on the Restoration Priorities Plan is different from the Wave 3 Engagement topics through DFO's Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program. The deadline to apply is July 31, 2024. 

The application deadline for IHPP engagement funding is July 31, 2024. The funds for engagement on this initiative can be used beyond March 31, 2024 and do not need to be used by a certain date.

The primary deliverables for IHPP engagement funding are:

1. Participation in virtual or in-person meetings;
2. Response to the online surveys available on Let’s Talk Pacific Salmon; 
3. Written feedback; and/or 
4. Information provided through bilateral calls.

A multi-Nation organization (e.g., Tribal council or other group) working with multiple communities may coordinate the response from a group of Nations and provide consolidated information in the form of written feedback emailed to DFO.PACPSSInitiative-InitiativeSSPPAC.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca or the online survey on Let’s Talk Pacific Salmon.

Alternatively, individual communities may apply to provide their feedback on the plan directly to the Restoration Priorities Planning team.

In either scenario, funding may go toward hiring a facilitator, or a consultant, hosting Tier 1 and/or Tier 2 workshops, interviewing elders and other community members, printing material, administrative costs etc. The budget table in the agenda provides a full breakdown of eligible expenses covered by IHPP funding.

There are three tiers of funding to support 1 to 30 Nations to help deliver support as quickly as possible for engagement on the Regional Restoration Plan. Applicants may apply for additional funding above the specified tiers to supplement additional work to help inform their feedback on the Regional Restoration Plan (e.g. data gathering, baseline studies). If applicants are requesting more than the specified amount for a given tier, the review process will take a bit longer but applications will still be considered.

The plan will be available to the restoration community and the intent is for it to inform restoration planning and project implementation in the region for both DFO staff and externally, within the restoration community.

Yes.  Habitat restoration is just one tool in the toolbox. It is arguably much easier to protect habitat than it is to restore it.  We are working with the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program and other departmental programs to exercise all the levers to help rebuild fish stocks around the region. The department is also working with external partners, including Indigenous Governments, the Province of BC, the Yukon Government and engaging with municipal governments to enhance conservation/preservation efforts. Habitat preservation is also being discussed in the plan as a key to habitat restoration success.