Salmon Steward

salmon Steward magazine 9 (MAIN IMAGE) MARK WEST PHOTOGRAPHY; (RIGHT) TIMES COLONIST W hen communities have the necessary support and resources needed for effective salmon restoration and conservation, they are able to make lasting impacts that will benefit salmon for generations to come. Every time you purchase a Salmon Conservation Stamp or donate to the Community Salmon Program (CSP), each of your dollars generates (on average) another seven dollars to local projects. Since 2015 alone, Conservation Stamp funds have provided more than $7.6 million to more than 900 community projects. CSP projects support habitat restoration, salmon enhancement, and education and stewardship in communities across B.C. and the Yukon. Take a look at some of this year's PSF- funded projects: LANGLEY The Bertrand Creek Watershed, located in the Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver, extends 113 square kilometres and is divided by the Canada/U.S. border. The watershed is a regional hotspot for biodiversity; in addition to supporting Coho, Chum and Coastal Cutthroat Trout, it is home to Nooksack Dace and Salish Sucker, two of Canada's most endangered fish. Langley Environmental Partners Society (LEPS) has worked closely with PSF for many years, receiving close to $70,000 in Community Salmon Program funding, for projects valued at more than $500,000. Their Agricultural Stewardship Program aims to work with local farmers and landowners to ensure that the integrity of agricultural practices are maintained while minimizing the impact of agriculture on Langley's streams and wetlands as well as fish and wildlife. This latest project is working with willing landowners to restore degraded stream habitat areas along Bertrand Creek in southeast Langley. Their team will restore the riparian environment, including the removal of invasive plants and the installation of native plant species. Local trees will also be protected with vole or beaver guards, as needed. SALMON STAMP DOLLARS AT WORK! Donors and anglers help keep crucial community initiatives afloat BY MARGARET BUTTNER & DANIEL LANIGAN (Left) Children explore at the nature centre adjacent to a small Coho hatchery in Houston; (below) Premier John Horgan and Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham are both passionate salmon advocates and recently participated in the annual Chinook broodstock capture on the Sooke River. In 2019, the provincial government donated $5 million to support PSF initiatives and the stewardship community. This donation is another example of government supporting collaborative, community-led initiatives benefiting Pacific salmon.

• Cover