Grant Amount:
$397,500
Intake Year: 2025
Region: North & Central Coast
Project Theme: Monitoring & Assessment and Watershed Collaboration, Planning & Governance
Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship Authority (KXSA), the resource stewardship department of the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation, is coordinating and leading this project to expand freshwater system monitoring and stewardship efforts within the territory. The program helps recognize, restore, and advance Kitasoo Xai’xais title and rights, advancing Indigenous-led conservation of Important Fisheries Watersheds within the context of the Great Bear Rainforest Order.
Key project goals and activities include gathering and analyzing stream temperature, flow, and water quality data to establish a monitoring baseline and increase understanding of the health and function of IFW systems; developing an IFW methodology that meets the legal objectives of the Great Bear Rainforest Land Use Order and aligns with Kitasoo Xai’xais laws, customs, and values; mitigating pressures or potential emergency actions from climate-related disturbances during the harvest and spawning season to guarantee climate resilient food fish systems; and training Nation members in key field skills for habitat and salmon population health assessments, building local capacity and providing economic stimulus.
The project will also develop data pipelines and communication tools for sharing knowledge with community fishers and decision-makers, helping protect salmon habitats, building stewardship infrastructure, supporting sustainable Kitasoo Xai’xais-led fisheries and forestry management, and advancing Kitasoo Xai’xais-led conservation.
“Led by the Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship Authority, this project, supported by the Watershed Security Fund, will strengthen Indigenous-led conservation, monitor key freshwater systems, and build community capacity to protect salmon for generations to come.” — Project team
