RESOURCES  Online tools, forms and information.

Program Overview

Program Purpose:
The broad purpose of the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation - Fondation pour la Conservation du Saumon Atlantique (ASCF-FCSA) is to help achieve healthy and sustainable wild Atlantic salmon populations in Atlantic Canada and Quebec through community-based partnerships.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the ASCF-FCSA will:

• Assist watershed-based community organizations working on a range of wild Atlantic salmon and salmon habitat conservation initiatives through funding of priority projects;
• Encourage partnership and cooperation among governments, Aboriginal groups and volunteer groups, at all levels;
• Encourage the engagement of and participation of everyone interested in the conservation of wild Atlantic salmon and its habitat;
• Increase public awareness of the challenges and solutions associated with conservation of wild Atlantic salmon;
• Provide a fair and balanced allocation of funding that reflects geographical areas and priorities.

The types of projects that are eligible for funding include those that maintain, protect and enhance Atlantic salmon and their habitat, rebuild stocks and restore salmon populations, and are related to watershed planning.

Program Strategy and Requirements:
The Foundation will consider eligible projects related to watershed planning, including feasibility, engineering and design, implementation, monitoring, or some combination thereof, from the following categories:

• Development of salmon and salmon habitat conservation plans for a watershed or sub-watershed (watershed planning)
• Conservation, rebuilding and restoration of wild Atlantic salmon and salmon habitat
• Restoring access of wild Atlantic salmon to salmon habitat
• Public education and awareness of the importance of conservation of wild Atlantic salmon and its habitat

Process:

At all times, the ASCF-FCSA will seek to support a fair and reasonable mix of projects in terms of size, risk, complexity, geographic distribution and benefit, and participation by eligible recipients across Atlantic Canada and Quebec.

The ASCF-FCSA will conduct an open and fair process to select projects for funding based on proposals submitted and evaluated against selection criteria. To do so it has established guidelines and evaluation criteria governing the project selection process that address overall program objectives with the advice of an expert advisory committee structure.

The advisory committee structure is made up of expert volunteer representatives of federal and provincial governments, Aboriginal groups, salmon conservation organizations and other stakeholders interested in conservation of wild Atlantic salmon and its habitat. The advisory committee(s) have been appointed by the Board to assist the Board in several ways:

• developing program priorities and strategies
• developing program criteria and guidelines
• receiving and reviewing proposals for funding
• ranking proposals and providing advice to the Board
• monitoring performance of the projects selected for funding
• providing other expert advice as necessary from time to time.

The Boards role will be to make the final decisions on the projects to be funded, assisted with the advice of the advisory committee(s).

Once a funding decision is taken, the ASCF-FCSA will enter into legally binding funding agreements with recipients of funding that will provide for such things as a project plan, the funding to be provided by the ASCF-FCSA and the recipient; expected results and outcomes; and evaluation and accountability requirements. The details of the program requirements will be fully developed by the Board with the advice of the advisory committee.