Several new environmental projects in the South Okanagan are getting about to gain traction following approval by regional directors.

The new and ongoing conservation projects received grant funding following the latest regional district project approvals for the South Okanagan Conservation Fund.

The Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen board of directors looked at 12 proposals before selecting nine for a piece of the $244,889 in funding available from this year’s conservation fund.

Three projects are new and six are ongoing environmental projects that work towards conservation of natural resources, and restoring and preserving healthy environments.

This year’s funding will go towards the Trout Creek River restoration initiative, managing at-risk wildlife and habitats at work and at play, and a workshop for technology transfer of Yellow Flag iris invasive species control techniques.

Continuing projects for 2020 include:

South Okanagan bat habitat conservation project
Invasive plant management on Nature Conservancy of Canada’s South Okanagan Conservation areas
K’emcenitkw floodplain re-engagement construction
Conserving South Okanagan habitats through an invasive-free certification program
Love your lakes – personalized shoreline assessments and restoration demonstration sites
Habitat stewardship and enhancement in the South Okanagan

The South Okanagan Conservation Fund was established in 2016 and has supported 22 environmentally important projects in the valley for a total of just under $921,000. The fund has also leveraged an additional $2.1 million from other funding sources.

The fund is administered through the South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program, with each year's round of projects approved by the regional board.

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