Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP)

Role of the Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program in the funding ecosystem

The Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) is a regional funding program that supports conservation and enhancement projects for fish, wildlife, and their habitats in watersheds affected by BC Hydro dams. The site shows that the program operates in three regions of British Columbia: Coastal, Columbia, and Peace.

FWCP directs annual funds toward board-approved projects, with additional allocations reserved for First Nations Directed Projects, Community Engagement Grants, Land Securement Grants, and Seed Grants. The organization also describes year-round application opportunities for some grant streams, indicating an ongoing funding role rather than a one-time payout.

How funding is administered

Project selection is guided by regional action plans and reviewed through a multi-stage process involving regional boards and technical or First Nations working groups. The site states that applications are evaluated for eligibility, alignment with priority actions, technical merit, urgency, budget, team experience, and community engagement.

Approved projects are tracked through annual reports, project outcomes summaries, and searchable report lists. The site also presents project examples and completed outcomes, including habitat work, species monitoring, land securement, and community engagement activities.

Governance and source of funds

The FWCP explains that it is funded annually by BC Hydro and operates in partnership with the Province of B.C., Fisheries and Oceans Canada, First Nations, and public stakeholders. In the Columbia and Peace regions, the program is tied to BC Hydro water licence obligations; in the Coastal Region, BC Hydro’s contribution is voluntary.

This structure supports a recurring, official funding mandate with regional oversight and public reporting, making the site a strong match for a grant provider database.