Salmon Steward

E mpowered communities play a pivotal role in wild salmon conservation. That's why supporting volunteers trained in the science of grassroots stewardship is a mainstay of the Pacific Salmon Foundation's activities. Every time you purchase a Salmon Conservation Stamp or donate directly to the Community Salmon Program (CSP), each of your dollars generates another seven, on average, for local projects. In 2018, grants totalling $1.66 million were awarded to 204 projects in 87 communities. But the total value of those projects including leveraging at the local level was almost $10 million. CSP grants provide seed funding, attract other donors, and bring communities and all levels of government together in concerted e‡orts for salmon. Below, meet some of the volunteers your funds have helped. PRINCE GEORGE Prince George isn't necessarily the first place in B.C. where people think of salmon habitat and education, but volunteers at the Spruce City Wildlife Association are working hard to change that. When VP Dustin Snyder joined in 2014, one of the first things he asked about was the dormant hatchery attached to their building on the Nechako River. Their local DFO community advisor suggested they apply for CSP funding to replace damaged and missing equipment to restart operations. Says Dustin: "Those early PSF grants gave us the confidence we needed to pursue more projects and look at our facility as a salmon stewardship centre and not just a hatchery." One of their goals is to showcase how the Nechako River connects to the Fraser Watershed and ultimately the Pacific Ocean. Their most popular display, partly funded by PSF, is the saltwater tank; the starfish in particular fascinate the kids. Volunteers host thousands of visitors each year, including students in the Fisheries and Oceans Canada "Stream to Sea" program. And the annual fry release has become a major community event. SAANICH Few things bring a bigger smile to Society president Darrell Wick's face than the sight of young children tossing frozen salmon carcasses into Douglas Creek each winter. The carcasses come from the nearby Howard English Hatchery and provide valuable nutrients for the creek and surrounding parkland. This is just one example of how Friends of Mount Douglas Park Society volunteers are restoring and protecting the creek that flows through the 200-hectare regional park on the Saanich Peninsula near Victoria. Douglas Park is surrounded by urban development, leaving the creek vulnerable to storm surges during heavy rains. Fortunately, grants from PSF's Community Salmon Program have enabled volunteers to recreate spawning beds by bringing in gravel and woody debris to protect small fry that are also provided by the hatchery. Riparian plantings on the banks of the creek have helped stop soil erosion – all installed by volunteers, including a local Scout troop. Says Darrell: "Our goals are two-fold – salmon restoration and public education. We couldn't do projects like these without CSP funding. The grants give us financial leverage to access more funds, and PSF's endorsement of our projects is equally important in the eyes of our funders." 14 2019 psf.ca PSF donors and B.C. anglers are powering community-driven stewardship Salmon Stamp Dollars at Work! To date, the Spruce City Wildlife Association has benefited from seven Community Salmon Program grants totalling $26,111 for projects valued at $90,828 including community leveraging. Donate online at psf.ca, or contact Margaret Buttner at mbuttner@psf.ca or 604.664.7664 ext. 128 about supporting volunteer streamkeepers in your community. Left to right: Josh Cronk, Daryl Schultz, Sophia Snyder and Kyler Schultz. SCWA members installed these signs funded by PSF to discourage poaching on a local salmon spawning stream. Child stewards replenish nutrients in Douglas Creek with frozen salmon carcasses. BY MARGARET BUTTNER (MIDDLE) DARYL WICK

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