The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) in partnership with Wildlife Habitat Canada has launched the Natural Heritage Conservation Program – Land Trusts Conservation Fund (NHCP-LTCF) Large Grant program which aims to assist and support the securement of key conservation areas across Canada, protect habitat for species at risk, enhance connections and corridors and stem the loss of biodiversity.

The Wildlife Habitat Canada is providing grant administration services for the Land Trusts Conservation Fund, which is a component of the Natural Heritage Conservation Program. The Land Trusts Conservation Fund will provide approximately $4.5 million annually over four years to support Canadian land trusts in securing private lands and private interests in lands.

Canada Target 1

The NHCP-LTCF program is designed to directly support Canada Target 1 and as such, land funded under the NHCP-LTCF program must count towards Target 1 objectives for permanent or long-term protection of land, either as a “Protected Area” (PA) or an “Other Effective area-based Conservation Measure” (OECM).

• Protected Area (PA): A Protected Area is “a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.”
• Other Effective area-based Conservation Measure (OECM): An OECM is broadly defined as “a geographically defined area other than a Protected Area, which is governed and managed in ways that achieve positive and sustained long-term outcomes for the in-situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem functions and services and where applicable, cultural, spiritual, socio-economic, and other locally relevant values.”

Funding Information

• Applicants are permitted to submit one project per Application Form between $30,001 and $1,000,000.
• Applicants may choose to submit up to three large project Application Forms (projects) for a total ask of $1,000,000 including a single project for $1,000,000 per round; this would require three separate Application Forms be submitted, one per proposed project.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply to the Land Trusts Conservation Program (LTCF), applicants must meet all the criteria below:

• Applicants must be a Canadian Land Trust;
• Applicants must be a registered Canadian charity; and,
• Applicants must be in compliance or working towards substantial compliance with the Canadian Land Trust Standards and Practices (2019) or Guide des bonnes pratiques en intendance privée: aspects juridiques et organisationnels, as demonstrated through a Board resolution or confirmed through an attestation by a senior officer of the organization. This includes, in particular, compliance or substantial compliance with Standards 8-12 which address the securement and stewarding of conservation lands.

For more information, visit Large Grant.