List of 27 Indigenous-Led Natural Climate Solutions projects 2023–2024

Alberta

Recipient: Mikisew Cree First Nation
Approved funding: $559,885
Description: This project engages Mikisew Guardians in peatland restoration to preserve the integrity of caribou habitat and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Seismic line restoration will enhance caribou habitat, while restoring ecosystem services to promote carbon sequestration.

British Columbia

Recipient: Aski Reclamation Limited Partnership on behalf of Saulteau First Nations
Approved funding: $ 176,720
Description: This project develops a Land Reclamation Certificate course in collaboration with the University of Northern British Columbia to provide specialized training to Aski Reclamation employees, who are Saulteau First Nation members, in land reclamation methods. Staff will acquire knowledge and tools to assist with the implementation of restoration projects that will mitigate the effects of climate change by restoring carbon-rich areas in Saulteau traditional territory, including forests, wetlands, peatlands, and grasslands.

Recipient: Blueberry River First Nations
Approved funding: $ 372,040
Description: This project develops on-the-ground training opportunities for staff to gain knowledge and skills related to sampling and restoration methods that will empower Blueberry River First Nations to complete future forest and wetland restoration work to help promote ecosystem functioning and carbon storage. Emissions reduction activities included in field training will be re-establishing flooding regimes and vegetation in degraded wetlands, enhancing land management, and restoring forests and wetlands for enhanced carbon storage.  

Recipient: Cheslatta Carrier Nation
Approved funding: $358,135
Description: This project empowers the Cheslatta Carrier Nation to undertake activities to restore native species, enhance caribou habitat, and sequester carbon. The Cheslatta Carrier Nation is restoring native berry plants that have been affected by wildfire in order to provide food and sequester carbon, as well as restoring lichen to sequester carbon and enhance caribou habitat. They are also conducting ongoing research related to enhanced land management techniques, including sustainable silvicultural methods.

Recipient: Fort Nelson First Nation
Approved funding: $ 600,615
Description: This project conducts monitoring of the greenhouse gas sequestration benefits of restoring peatland with different restoration techniques. The project builds capacity within the Fort Nelson First Nation to develop and execute a robust greenhouse gas sequestration monitoring program and analyze field data to make informed decisions regarding restoration treatments.

Recipient: Gitanyow Huwilp Society doing business as Gitanyow Fisheries Authority
Approved funding: $263,135
Description: This project supports Gitanyow to bring back their traditional practice of cultural burning to enhance their forest management and help reduce the risk of extreme wildfires. In collaboration with the British Columbia Wildfire Service, this project develops a Gitanyow Cultural Fire Stewardship Plan that will provide tools to facilitate the creation of individual burn plans, identify different habitat types, and identify areas where wildfires should be allowed to burn in order to help restore ecosystem health.

Recipient: Katzie Development Limited Partnership
Approved funding: $ 400,000
Description: This project will assess the effectiveness of ongoing restoration activities and benefits to carbon sequestration; broaden the amount of baseline data collected through monitoring work to better understand the impacts of climate change on wetlands; reintroduce native vegetation; and measure success in meeting habitat restoration objectives.

Recipient: Kwiakah Indian Band
Approved funding: $ 705,795
Description: This project launches a regenerative forestry pilot program and empowers Kwiakah Indian Band to conduct research and baseline data collection to quantify carbon storage within local forests. Staff will explore regenerative forestry treatments, develop a methodology for comparing the rate of biodiversity increase and soil/forest carbon stock recovery, assess the impacts of forest management strategies, and lobby the province of British Columbia to improve regenerative forestry practices.

Recipient: Nanwakolas Council Society
Approved funding: $984,950
Description: This project will conduct research into kelp ​​restoration methodologies, compile new and existing knowledge on Indigenous and Western science regarding kelp restoration, work to establish a baseline of kelp carbon sequestration, and work to restore kelp forests. It will also build community capacity through training activities and work to provide climate change mitigation benefits through enhanced carbon sequestration, as well as co-benefits to the community.

Recipient: Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation
Approved funding: $ 493,605
Description: This project will conduct forest thinning to protect grasslands, cultural burning, and biodiversity ranching, all of which will reduce competition of overstory trees and increase light, soil moisture, and nutrients to increase biodiversity and ecosystem resilience while protecting the grasslands carbon sink. It will also deliver co-benefits, such as employment opportunities and Indigenous engagement in climate action, as well as increasing ecosystem resilience and decreasing the risk of wildlife for residents.

Recipient: Tsal’alh
Approved funding: $167,495
Description: This project will undertake capacity-building activities and baseline data collection, including source data and aerial imagery acquisition, ecosystem delineation, field survey, and ecosystem mapping in Shalalth, British Columbia. These activities will provide a baseline for measuring existing disturbance for comparison to future disturbance to determine the cumulative effects, as well as provide estimations of carbon dynamics, including storage and sequestration to guide forest-management practices.

Recipient: Tsay Keh Dene Nation
Approved funding: $ 322,110
Description: This project conducts wetland restoration on two to three selected priority sites on Tsay Keh Dene Nation territory. This initiative works to heal the land, water, and air using a combination of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western science to result in increased carbon storage, cultural-ecological resilience, and capacity building for further work with natural climate solutions.  

Recipient: Xeni Gwet'in First Nations Government
Approved funding: $324,615
Description: This project re-introduces controlled burns at three priority areas to restore grasslands and forests and prevent catastrophic wildfire. The project provides training to members of Xeni Gwet’in First Nation and develops fuel management and burn plans to be implemented in collaboration with project partners, including the British Columbia Wildfire Service.

Nova Scotia

Recipient: Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources
Approved funding: $ 697,085
Description: This project conducts research and knowledge gathering into nature-based climate solutions and sustainable models for carbon-based projects in order to establish two demonstration sites for research, as well as monitoring the use of nature-based climate solutions in Unama'ki. Additionally, the project develops communication tools to increase community awareness of nature-based climate solutions, such as by holding a land gathering to engage with Mi’kmaw leaders, youth, and other Knowledge Holders to inform the long-term vision for the project and create an evaluation framework for measurement and future decision-making.

Nunavut

Recipient: K’ahsho Development Foundation
Approved funding: $ 391,240
Description: This project supports the K'ahsho Development Foundation to conduct research on the peatlands located in the 10,060 kilometre-squared protected area, Ts'udé Nilįné Tuyeta (Tuyeta), in order to assess its carbon storage capacity and identify long-term peatland conservation and remediation strategies. In the long-term, information from this project will be used to identify opportunities to safeguard Tuyeta's carbon storage integrity through remediation, enhanced land management, or other conservation methods, while also protecting critical habitat for migratory birds and species at risk, including Boreal Woodland Caribou and wolverines.  

Ontario

Recipient: Alderville First Nation Black Oak Savanna
Approved funding: $ 282,615
Description: This project will build capacity in Alderville First Nation Black Oak Savanna to conduct sustainable native grassland seed harvesting and restoration. The Alderville Black Oak Savanna stewards over 81 hectares of grassland ecosystems, which are highly effective carbon sinks that sequester an average of 1.7 metric tons of carbon per acre annually.

Recipient: Caldwell First Nation
Approved funding: $ 298,810
Description: This project builds capacity within Caldwell First Nation related to greenhouse gas monitoring and reduction activities. The project will undertake strategic wetland restoration activities, and staff are engaging in soil and water sampling to gauge how much new carbon they are able to capture through restoration activities.

Recipient: Eagle Lake First Nation
Approved funding: $ 267,500
Description: This project conducts assessments of wetlands within the Eagle Lake and Eagle River watersheds to determine their ability to store carbon and mitigate climate change impacts, as well as their ability to support wild rice crops that will contribute to food security in Eagle Lake First Nation.

Recipient: First Nations Guardians Network
Approved funding: $ 966,666
Description: This project supports First Nations to build capacity and effectively implement the Indigenous-Led Natural Climate Solutions stream of the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund. This project funds the development of a First Nations Advisory Committee to support First Nations in managing and delivering Indigenous-Led Natural Climate Solutions funding through the newly-created First Nations National Guardians Network.

Recipient: Grassy Narrows First Nation
Approved funding: $ 545,565
Description: This project develops tools to measure and quantify the carbon benefits of different forest protection and restoration scenarios within the Whiskey Jack Forest. The project supports the Grassy Narrows First Nation in advancing plans to protect the forest, while also determining the best approach to optimizing its capacity for carbon storage and sequestration.

Recipient: Matawa First Nations Management
Approved funding: $ 360,620
Description: This project assesses stored carbon in select upland forest soils and lowland peatlands within the traditional territories of six Matawa member First Nations. The project will equip the communities with tools, training, and resources to characterize carbon stocks within their traditional lands and generate new knowledge for enhanced Indigenous-led environmental stewardship.

Recipient: Métis Nation of Ontario
Approved funding: $ 1,337,450
Description: This project develops capacity internal to the Métis Nation of Ontario secretariat and its citizens to support future Indigenous-led emissions reductions activities in a variety of ways. This includes the development of internal capacity for carbon accounting, education of Métis Nation of Ontario citizens surrounding the importance of natural climate solutions, and the acquisition of a minimum of 40 hectares of wetlands for long-term conservation and, potentially, restoration.

Recipient: Shawanaga First Nation
Approved funding: $ 180,675
Description: This project rehabilitates and restores 100 metres of creek bank and two hectares of wetland located at Shawanaga Landing by planting native trees, grasses, and wildflowers to stabilize the eroding banks and increase biodiversity in the riparian area. The project is also engaging in invasive species removal, shoreline stabilization, management of human activities, improving movement corridors for wildlife, and creek restoration.

Quebec

Recipient: Association de gestion halieutique autochtone Mi’gmaq et Wolastoqey
Approved funding: $ 367,655
Description: This project undertakes seasonal quantification of carbon stored in cultured algal biomass, measuring the amounts of carbon sequestered in the sediments below the algae farm, and determining their origin to assess the exploitation of carbon to adjacent ecosystems.

Recipient: Micmacs of Gesgapegiag / Gesgapegiag
Approved funding: $ 358,110
Description: This project builds capacity in the Micmacs of Gesgapegiag to take a leadership role in developing an Indigenous-led and community-grounded natural climate solutions initiative. Through workshops, community meetings, and boots-on-the-ground data collection, this project will support the Micmacs of Gesgapegiag to develop an Indigenous-led plan for natural climate action that will address community priorities while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  

Saskatchewan

Recipient: Mistawasis Nêhiyawak
Approved funding: $ 295,410
Description: This project supports Mistawasis Nêhiyawak to build capacity to determine the potential carbon benefits of re-introducing buffalo as a keystone species back into their traditional territory. The area selected for this project is approximately 1,300 hectares of mostly grasslands, with some wetlands and forest. This project will assess the viability of this work in order to reintroduce bison into the area in a way that is scientifically credible and can improve environmental health.

Yukon

Recipient: First Nation of Na-Cho Nyak Dun
Approved funding: $ 703,870
Description: This project conducts remote sensing to fill gaps in current wetland mapping products and engages in fieldwork to measure carbon storage in wetlands and characterize the hydrologic setting of different wetland types. Additionally, the project supports the development of the Nation's digital database with new and historic information and provides on-the-land capacity building and engagement opportunities for Elders and youth.