The Land for Wildlife Fund
- Closing date : June 30, 2026
Overview
The Land for Wildlife Fund supports permanent conservation of important fish and wildlife habitat in British Columbia by pooling financial resources to purchase private land for conservation. The program works with partners such as non-profits, First Nations, companies, philanthropic funders, individual donors and government entities, and grant intakes generally occur twice per year when funding is available. Eligible acquisitions must be in British Columbia, primarily protect fish and wildlife habitat, remain accessible to the public for recreation such as angling, hunting and hiking, and be designated for conservation purposes in perpetuity. Applicants submit through the BC Conservation Foundation website after reviewing eligibility and preparing required documents such as support letters, a property map and project budget financials. Successful proponents sign an MOU, invoice before closing, recognize BCCF funding, provide signage evidence, and supply photos, maps and promotional materials. The fund has helped protect critical wildlife habitat, biodiversity and species at risk, leveraging well over $1,000,000 to help acquire more than 27 properties across the province over three decades.
At a glance
Funding available
- Increase social or community impact
- Reduce environmental footprint
- Varies by project
- Closing date : June 30, 2026
Eligible candidates
- Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
- British Columbia
- Non-profit
- All revenue ranges
- All organization sizes
- All groups
- Environment
- All the groups
- All structures
- All dimensions
Next Steps
Activities funded
- Eligible activities focus on purchasing land designated for conservation in perpetuity. The supported activity is the acquisition of natural areas that protect fish and wildlife habitat while keeping the land available for public recreational access such as angling, hunting and hiking.
Documents Needed
Applicants should be ready to provide land location, ownership status, conservation purpose, fish and wildlife habitat rationale, public access details and evidence that any required conservation designation changes have been pre-approved.
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Applicants are proponents or partner organizations advancing land acquisition projects that meet the fund criteria. The proposed land must be in British Columbia, be suitable for fish and wildlife habitat conservation, be available for public access and be intended for long-term conservation rather than short-term management activity.
Who is not eligible
- Projects are not eligible if they involve federal or provincial Crown land, First Nations Treaty Settlement land, land enhancement work, other land management projects, land that will not be accessible to the public, or land that is not primarily for fish and wildlife habitat acquisition.
Eligible expenses
The eligible expense described by the program is the purchase of land for conservation purposes in perpetuity. The source material does not publish a detailed cost schedule, so applicants should treat land acquisition tied directly to the eligible conservation purpose as the core supported cost.
Ineligible Costs and Activities
- Land enhancement projects and other land management projects are not eligible. The fund also excludes land that is not in British Columbia, land that is not private/freehold property, land without public access, and land that is not primarily for fish and wildlife habitat acquisition.
Eligible geographic areas
- Projects must be located in British Columbia. The fund is specifically intended for conservation land in BC that protects fish and wildlife habitat and remains accessible to the public for appropriate recreational use.
Selection criteria
Applications should clearly show that the land is in British Columbia, is private/freehold property, is primarily for fish and wildlife habitat acquisition, will remain accessible to the public and has any necessary conservation designation changes pre-approved before funding is requested.
How to apply
1. Confirm the land is located in British Columbia and is private/freehold property. 2. Confirm the acquisition is primarily for fish and wildlife habitat conservation and public access. 3. Obtain any required pre-approval for conservation land designation changes. 4. Prepare the land acquisition and conservation information requested by the fund. 5. Submit before the applicable program deadline.
Processing and Agreement
The source does not describe a detailed review timeline. Applications should be expected to be reviewed against the published land eligibility factors, including BC location, conservation purpose, public access, private/freehold status and any required pre-approval for land designation changes.
Additional information
- The program has recurring deadlines; the current deadline in the admin record is June 30, 2026. Because the source does not publish a detailed application procedure, applicants should verify current instructions and required materials with BCCF before submitting.