July Newsletter 2017

Summer is upon us! At least we hope so after the longest “slow spring” in memory. In any case, our recipient groups are definitely in full swing with their 2017, project activities. In fact many groups have submitted interim project reports and the project results are looking quite good.

At the risk of seeming redundant, I would like to briefly walk you through our process. As many know, we place high emphasis on putting initial funding into the hands of recipient groups so they can get their project work underway as early as possible. What many readers may not know is that we go through a careful (some might say annoying) process with recipients in drafting a mutually agreeable funding agreement. At the core of the funding agreement is the project description and the project objective(s). We then agree on satisfactory performance measures for each of the objectives. These form the basis of our interim and final reports.

We strive for consistency in the drafting of our funding agreements, because this enables the Foundation to evenly administer our funded initiatives. It also facilitates the aggregation of project performance outcomes. Measuring individual project performance is extremely important, but so is the rolling up results to attain a picture of how the Foundation is helping improve salmon conservation.

Jim McCarthy of the Salmonid Association of Eastern Newfoundland (SAEN) is our featured volunteer of the month.  Jim is a professional biologist who also happens to work with AMEC, an environmental consulting firm located in St. John’s, while he volunteers his spare time in helping SAEN deliver its conservation projects.  His passion for salmon conservation, therefore, cuts across his personal and professional lives. It’s wonderful that dedicated people, like Jim, share their expertise to helping address salmon conservation and restoration efforts.

This month we are also profiling the work of the Sackville Rivers Association located in Sackville, NS, as they work to restore, protect, and preserve the Sackville River Watershed. Under the watchful eye of Walter Regan this very active group has yielded consistently good conservation results in a watershed facing huge challenges from commercial and suburban development. It’s a pleasure to work with groups like SRA!

Yours in conservation!

Stephen Chase