Climate Change and Environment
Natural Upland Area
Rejuvenation and Enhancement
1
The purpose of the Natural Upland Area Rejuvenation and Enhancement BMP is to enhance natural areas for:
- Improved ecological function of natural upland areas
- Enhanced wildlife habitat, corridors and biodiversity
- Increased carbon sequestration and soil health
- Managed soil salinity
- Stored water and reduced flooding
- Reduced soil erosion
Intake Information
The deadline for applications is April 4, 2023.
Eligible Applicants
Watershed Districts
Eligible Activities
- Renovation and enhancement of natural upland areas
- Creation or widening of buffers (grasses, trees or shrubs) in agricultural fields adjacent to surface water sources, as well as other actions to protect existing riparian areas such as reshaping of edges and fields
- Establishment of pollinator strips or other perennial cover for pollinator habitat or other biodiversity purposes in fields or field margins of existing cropland (area planted with high value pollinator plants)
- Strip planting of perennial cover to create managed grassed waterways or to manage salinity within a field
- Erosion control and remediation including constructed works to reduce the vulnerability of soil at certain landscape positions and movement of topsoil to remediate erosion.
- Avoided conversion and maintenance of natural features on critical and/or at-risk agricultural landscapes such as grasslands and woodlots
Project Timeline
Projects will have eighteen months to be completed.
Cost Share Funding
Watershed districts can be reimbursed for up to 100 per cent of total approved eligible costs.
- There is a $100,000 maximum funding cap per application worksheet.
- There is a $300,000 funding cap per watershed per year.
