Vancouver, BC – CFN is thrilled to announce increased funding for the Coastal Guardian Watchmen, which will support ongoing efforts to monitor, protect and restore coastal territories along the North and Central Coast and Haida Gwaii.

“The Guardians play a critical role in all aspects of stewardship for coastal First Nations,” says Guujaaw, CFN Special Advisor and former President of the Council of the Haida Nation. “They uphold a sacred responsibility to protect our cultural and natural resources, and they ensure both traditional and contemporary laws are followed.”

The $600,000 in funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada will help enhance the Guardians’ current stewardship work, which includes regular patrols to ensure rules and regulations are followed, plus extensive research efforts to increase knowledge of our important marine ecosystems.

The funding will support collaborative efforts to implement Nation-specific and regional land- and marine-use agreements, while further enhancing the Regional Monitoring System—a standardized approach to data collection that Guardians use to monitor the coast and make decisions from a regional perspective. It will also support an overarching strategy to guide all future stewardship efforts, as well as the development and implementation of a series of training programs designed specifically for training Guardians and other coastal stewardship workers.

“Taking care of our coastal lands and waters is a responsibility that has been passed down through countless generations,” says Guujaaw. “This funding is a welcome support for these Guardians, and for the stewardship training programs that help them do their job effectively.”

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For more information:

Guujaaw
Special Advisor, Coastal First Nations
(250) 637-1190