Contact Us
602 – 1200 West 73rd Ave
Vancouver, BC, V6P 6G5
Registered Charity Number: 77442 2281 RR0001
The Goal: 30% of the Fraser River Protected by 2030.
The Indigenous Stewardship Fund (ISF) is partnering with Fin Donnelly and the Fraser Riverkeeper to advance the protection of 30% of the Fraser River by 2030.
Grounded in the First Nations Fisheries Action Plan’s Theme 3: Safeguarding Habitat and Responding to Threats, this work aligns with ISF’s mandate to advance Indigenous-led environmental protection across British Columbia.
From a Global Conservation Commitment to Local Action
30×30 is a global conservation commitment adopted in 2022 under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity through the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The target calls for protecting 30% of the world’s lands, freshwater and oceans by 2030 to help address biodiversity loss and climate change. More than 190 countries, including Canada, have committed to this goal. The Fraser 30×30 Challenge advances this vision within British Columbia by supporting the protection and restoration of the Fraser River watershed.
Fraser River: One of the World’s Most Important Watersheds
The Fraser River is one of the world’s most important watersheds. Stretching over 1,300 kilometres from the Canadian Rockies to the Pacific, it connects mountains, forests, wetlands, and coastlines into one living system and supports one of the largest wild salmon runs on Earth.
For thousands of years, First Nations have relied on these waters for food, culture, and identity, with salmon at the heart of their laws and teachings. Today, climate change is intensifying pressures: rising water temperatures, floods and droughts, habitat loss and disrupted ecosystems, making it clear that protecting and restoring the Fraser River is a critical climate action.
Fraser 30×30 Challenge: Where We Are & What’s Next
We are here: 17.6%
of the Fraser River watershed is protected as of 2026.
● 13.6% — BC Parks and Ecological Reserves
● 2.8% — Conservation Lands
● 1.2% — Regional greenspaces
While this reflects meaningful progress, it also underscores the work ahead: achieving the 30×30 goal will require protecting
2.9 million more hectares by 2030.
This gap presents both a challenge and an opportunity, to accelerate Indigenous-led stewardship, expand protected areas and work collectively to safeguard the Fraser River for future generations.
What Does 2.9 Million Hectares Look Like?
That’s nearly the size of
Vancouver Island.
Equivalent to 4 million soccer fields
(using FIFA standard field size).
Over 10 times the size of the entire
Metro Vancouver region.
ISF’s Role: Convening 70+ Fraser First Nations & Unifying Their Voices
Across the Fraser River, approximately 76 First Nations hold distinct cultures, identities, priorities and deep connections to the lands and waters. Bringing this diversity together requires care, formal engagement models and trust.
A core role of the Indigenous Stewardship Fund (ISF) in the Fraser 30×30 Challenge is to ensure meaningful engagement with First Nations, so that their habitat protection interests, priorities and protocols are reflected throughout the initiative.
ISF will work with Fraser First Nations to:
- Identify shared priorities around salmon, habitat and water use
- Ensure voices are heard and inform the direction of the initiative
- Align protection efforts with Indigenous rights, knowledge and stewardship practices
The Fraser River 30×30 Challenge is made possible with funding from:
