Living Economies

We’re using science, economics, and policy to advance nature-positive economies in British Columbia. 

Raincoast’s Living Economies Program explores how healthy ecosystems can support thriving local economies. We quantify the economic value of ecosystem services, habitat restoration, and conservation initiatives, while developing innovative approaches to finance and the delivery of conservation in salmon-bearing watersheds. By integrating economics, western science, conservation finance, and policy, we work to create solutions that generate employment, strengthen local economies, and support resilient communities across British Columbia. 

Building on a decade years of habitat restoration and job creation

The Living Economies Program builds on the success of Raincoast’s decade-long habitat restoration and conservation work in the Lower Fraser River. Over the past 10 years, our projects have removed barriers to fish passage, controlled invasive species, and restored critical habitat for wild Pacific salmon.

This work created employment for 50 people, with more than $885,576.48 in grant funding directly supporting local jobs. The projects brought together a diverse range of expertise, including biologists, Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, First Nations youth, environmental monitors, engineers,  heavy machinery operators, construction consultants, archaeologists, and graduate students. 

By investing in habitat restoration, this initiative has contributed to the recovery of endangered Pacific salmon while demonstrating that conservation can create meaningful employment opportunities – even within one of the most urbanized and highly modified landscapes in British Columbia.

Aerial photo of tiny, distant workers with hard hats walking around the Fraser River Estuary, surrounded by grasses and water.
Misty MacDuffee, Noah Kussin-Bordo, David Scott, and Peter Kidd in the Fraser River estuary.
Photo by Alex Harris.

Conservation Economy Pilot  

In 2026, we are launching a Conservation Economy Pilot that pairs innovative conservation finance mechanisms with habitat restoration to create a scalable model for nature-positive economic development in rural communities. The pilot will demonstrate how investments in ecosystem recovery can generate long-term employment, attract private and public capital, strengthen local economies, and improve outcomes for fish, wildlife, and people.

By bringing together diverse skill sets – from restoration practitioners and foresters to economists, Indigenous partners, engineers, and community organizations – the pilot aims to test a new model for delivering shared environmental and economic benefits that can be replicated across British Columbia.

Recent, from Raincoast

Map of BC displaying the Fraser River and tributaries as blue lines, the number of salmon that came from each river as orange circles, and the locations of jetty breaches as blue and red pins.

Fish passage through our habitat restoration projects in the Lower Fraser River and Estuary

We have created a new map to show the success we’ve observed at our habitat restoration sites.
Drone photo of a jetty with the fraser river estuary on either side.

Construction starts this week!

This week, we are starting the construction of a second breach in the North Arm jetty.
Two killer whales swimming at the surface of the water.

Is it time the critical habitat of endangered killer whales be expanded to include their prey base – Chinook rivers?

We have mapped the watersheds that feed into critical habitat for Southern Resident killer whales. Protecting these rivers is directly linked to the recovery of critically endangered whales.
A large salmon swimming under the water.

Contact your MLA about the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 expansion

The provincial government has a choice. They either act in their role to protect the integrity of south coast ecosystems in BC and their importance to our culture and economy, or they continue to make, and support, decisions that further their decline.
Four people walking in a garry oak meadow.

Raincoast welcomes new team members who have joined our team for the summer!

They will work on a variety of Raincoast initiatives throughout the summer. Learn more about each of them below.
Three killer whales swimming near the surface of the water.

Letter in Science identifies the contradiction between protecting economic growth and biodiversity in Canada’s Fraser River Estuary 

The letter, asking whether Canada will permit killer whale extinction, identifies Canada’s conflicting aspirations and obligations to protect biodiversity while continuing to permit megaprojects that destroy the critical habitat of threatened and endangered species.
A school of salmon as seen from below in the Fraser River.

We supported the US District Court decision to halt the Southeast Alaska troll fishery, but the US appeal court did not

Last week, Raincoast sent a letter in support of the US District court decision to halt the Southeast Alaska troll fishery during the summer and winter seasons. The SEAK troll targets migrating Chinook, over 90% of which are not salmon from Alaska. These Chinook are prey for endangered Southern Resident killer whales as they migrate…
Chinook salmon next to each other in a river.

We support the US District Court decision to halt the Southeast Alaska troll fishery

This letter was written by Raincoast Wild Salmon Program Director Misty MacDuffee in support of the US District Court decision to halt the Southeast Alaska troll fishery during the summer and winter seasons.