16 First Nations Indigenous-Led Natural Climate Solutions initiatives 2025–2026
Backgrounder
On December 17, 2025, the Honourable Julie Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature, announced an investment of up to $13.1 million for 16 First Nations-led climate action initiatives through the Indigenous-Led Natural Climate Solutions Fund. These initiatives will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by conserving, restoring, and enhancing land management of important ecosystems.
Alberta
Project title: Whitefish Lake Vegetation and Wetland Mapping Initiative
Recipient: Whitefish Lake First Nation #459
Funding amount: $361,791
Project description: This initiative will map and study Alberta's Whitefish Lake First Nation's traditional territory, focusing on ecosite classification, vegetation and wetlands, habitat connectivity, and carbon storage. It will gather data to build a model that helps identify priority conservation areas based on key factors like habitat links, carbon capture, and culturally important species. The work will combine mapping, modelling, and field verification.
British Columbia
Project title: Carbon Sequestration and Wetland Restoration in Nazko First Nation Territory
Recipient: Nazko First Nation
Funding amount: $659,770
Project description: This initiative will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by restoring disturbed or lost wetlands within Nazko First Nation traditional territory using both Traditional Ecological Knowledge and modern scientific methods. Efforts will include managing water flow, re-establishing native plant communities, invasive species management, peat preservation, and enhancement of microtopography to encourage diverse habitats and improve habitat connectivity and resilience.
Project title: Building an Indigenous-Led Fire Stewardship Carbon Methodology: The Yunesit'in Qwen (Fire) Program
Recipient: Gathering Voices Society
Funding amount: $675,540
Project description: This initiative will help protect important Douglas-fir and grassland forests using Indigenous fire stewardship treatments each spring and fall, following Tŝilhqot'in law. Up to 20 Yunesit'in community members will take part each year through hands-on training, mentorship, and scientific monitoring.
Project title: Xeni Gwet'in Indigenous Fire Stewardship Project
Recipient: Xeni Gwet'in First Nation Government, Tin Towh Department
Funding amount: $352,779
Project description: This initiative will build on past ecological restoration work in Xeni Gwet'in First Nation's (XGFNG) traditional territory. XGFNG will work in partnership with the BC Wildfire Service and Shifting Mosaics Consulting to re-introduce traditional fire stewardship practices. These methods focus on preventing severe wildfires, which release a significant amount of carbon, by re-introducing controlled, low-intensity fires.
Project title: Kwiakah Regenerative Forestry Pilot
Recipient: Kwiakah Indian Band
Funding amount: $1,543,194
Project description: This initiative builds on ongoing work in the territory and will expand research capacity, strengthen the Forest Keeper/Guardian program, and focus on regenerative forestry techniques to speed up the recovery of logged forests.
Project title: C̓ay̓imc Protection and Restoration
Recipient: Huu-ay-aht First Nations Government
Funding amount: $412,856
Project description: This initiative aims to reconnect Huu-ay-aht citizens to eelgrass meadows, protect healthy meadows, and restore those that have declined. Drawing on cultural knowledge and research, it will support carbon capture while boosting the local economy. Led by Huu-ay-aht First Nations with expert help, the initiative will promote principles like respect and interconnectedness. The project will also highlight the importance of eelgrass in the Huu-ay-aht traditional food system.
Project title: N/A
Recipient: Gitanyow Huwilp Society DBA Gitanyow Fisheries Authority
Funding amount: $523,320
Project description: This initiative will advance fire stewardship in Gitanyow Lax'yip traditional territory. Work includes further capacity building and training of Gitanyow staff, from writing burn plans and conducting referrals to assessing forest fuels, conducting ignitions, and learning various ways to hold fires. The project will also have a community outreach component to truly rebuild a healthy “culture of fire” for Gitanyow.
Project title: Kitasoo Xai'xais Indigenous Protected Area
Recipient: Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation (Kitasoo Indian Band)
Funding amount: $95,104
Project description: The Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation will create a new protected and conserved area within Kitasoo Xai'xais Territory in one of six candidate watersheds. Candidate watersheds were chosen for their rich biodiversity, carbon sequestration capacity, connectivity to existing provincially protected areas and/or key fish habitats, minimal or no past logging, and current logging threats. Protecting one of these watersheds will address the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss while supporting Kitasoo Xai'xais stewardship and sovereignty.
Manitoba
Project title: Chemawawin Forest Guardians
Recipient: Chemawawin Cree Nation
Funding amount: $794,400
Project description: This initiative will focus on three main goals: building the Chemawawin Forest Guardians' skills, creating a greenhouse gas inventory, and conserving forests and wetlands. This includes preventing logging in certain areas to protect both carbon storage and the moose population.
Nova Scotia
Project title: Working with Nature and Putting Down Roots in Unama'ki Through the Use of Nature-Based Climate Solutions to Build Resiliency to Climate Change, Protect Habitat for Msit No'kmaq, and to Demonstrate Mi'kmaw Leadership
Recipient: Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources
Funding amount: $2,083,500
Project description: This initiative will work with Crown governments, conservation and climate organizations, other Indigenous Nations, academic researchers, and land trusts to educate, demonstrate, monitor, and develop a natural climate solutions program for Unama'ki.
Ontario
Project title: Coastal First Nations Lands Carbon and Contaminant Assessment of Wetland Restoration and Manoomin Reintroduction
Recipient: Caldwell First Nation
Funding amount: $523,600
Project description: This initiative builds on ongoing work by Caldwell First Nation and will expand on carbon data and greenhouse gas monitoring. It has three main parts: analyzing soil composition to assess land health, studying carbon and chemical levels in wetland plants to check water health and carbon storage, and researching the reintroduction of wild rice (manoomin) and the health of current populations.
Project title: Conserving Williams Treaties Territories through an Alderville First Nation–Kawartha Land Trust Partnership
Recipient: Alderville First Nation
Funding amount: $1,450,000
Project description: Alderville First Nation will work with Kawartha Land Trust to strengthen its capacity for land conservation and improve community well-being through land care. The project will focus on conserving 1,000 acres of land, primarily forested areas, to store carbon and benefit the community. Alderville First Nation will also plan and manage Anishinaabe-informed land practices on both Alderville First Nation and Kawartha Land Trust forests. Additionally, the project will promote traditional Anishinaabe land use, such as hunting, harvesting, and education, on conserved lands in the Williams Treaties territory.
Quebec
Project title: Restoring the Wetlands of Lake Saint-Pierre: Conservation and Climate Resilience of the W8banaki Nation
Recipient: W8banaki
Funding amount: $1,376,500
Project description: The Nation wishes to identify and acquire other sites threatened by agricultural or industrial practices or by unsustainable uses in flood-prone or sensitive areas. Based on a model of the sectors most conducive to restoration, strategic acquisitions will be made to maximize greenhouse gas emission reductions. In collaboration with conservation experts, the Nation will also evaluate the possibility of creating a social utility trust or an Indigenous conservation organization to manage the protected lands. The land acquired will be left as idle to allow for assessments of its restoration potential, therefore helping to preserve biodiversity and combat climate change. Environmental assessments of the acquired land will enable effective planning of future restoration activities.
Project title: Ango'tmuq: Taking Care of Coastal Habitats in Mawipoqtapei
Recipient: Gespe'gewa'gi Institute of Natural Understanding (GINU)
Funding amount: $919,000
Project description: This initiative, led by Gespe'gewa'gi Institute of Natural Understanding and Ugpi'ganjig, aims to restore and sustainably manage key coastal ecosystems, fostering both environmental and cultural revitalization. Restoring eelgrass beds in the Eel River estuary is central to this project, as well as rejuvenating clam beds and kelp forests and conserving the Benjamin River mouth, where the project will also restore salt marshes to support traditional harvesting and cultural practices.
Project title: Evaluating Present and Future Carbon Storage in Forest and Wetlands on Timiskaming First Nation Traditional Territory
Recipient: Timiskaming First Nation
Funding amount: $254,225
Project description: This initiative will assess carbon storage in soil, trees, and wetlands and create a baseline of current carbon levels across the territory. This will allow Timiskaming First Nation to assess the impact of future industrial projects on carbon storage. With expert guidance on climate change effects, Timiskaming First Nation will predict and manage changes in carbon content in soil and trees. Experts will collaborate with Ni Dakinan, Timiskaming First Nation's land stewardship department, ensuring staff can replicate calculations for future coordination with government and industries.
Saskatchewan
Project title: Collaboration and Building Technical Capacity for Grassland and Wetland Management in Three Southern Saskatchewan Indigenous Communities
Recipient: Pheasant Rump Nakota First Nation
Funding amount: $1,079,800
Project description: This initiative brings together the First Nation communities of Pheasant Rump, Kawacatoose, and Muskowekwan in southern Saskatchewan to assess and conserve their ecosystems in the Prairie Pothole Region. The project combines Indigenous Knowledge and modern science to support biodiversity, climate adaptation, and emissions reduction. Using drone imaging and participatory mapping, it will gather a comprehensive and valuable data set. Capacity building through training and mentorship will empower community members as Indigenous environmental leaders while also promoting knowledge-sharing and collaboration for sustainable land management.