A central component of the Great Bear Rainforest conservation model is support for coastal communities to build more sustainable, diversified economies.

As part of the Great Bear Rainforest Agreement, Sierra Club BC has helped secure a $ 120 million package as a tool to support sustainable business development and capacity building in First Nations communities on the North and Central Coast.

These funds represent the contributions from private philanthropists ($60 million), the provincial government ($30 million), and the federal government ($30 million).  Part of the money will go into an endowment fund which will help support conservation management, science, and stewardship jobs in First Nations communities.  The rest of the money will support ecologically sustainable business development in the region - projects like sustainable fisheries, forestry and tourism.

Funding for local communities has been part of Sierra Club BC's vision for the Great Bear Rainforest for many years. We look forward to seeing the innovative ways First Nations communities will use this money to build new businesses and expand their capacity to be the caretakers of their territories.