GATINEAU, QC, Feb. 2, 2015 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council, marked the accomplishments achieved to date under the National Conservation Plan.
Since Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the National Conservation Plan in May 2014, the Government of Canada has made substantial progress on developing and coordinating stewardship efforts to conserve and restore lands and waters across the country.
The National Conservation Plan includes $252 million over five years to support existing and new funding initiatives, such as the National Wetland Conservation Fund, and the expanded Habitat Stewardship Program and Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk. Several new projects are being launched this year that will conserve and restore natural areas across the country, including habitat for species at risk. Additionally, new funding will focus, for the first time, on projects addressing other priority species beyond the protection and recovery of species at risk to prevent them from becoming a conservation concern.
The Government of Canada has expanded, strengthened, and renewed its national and international partnerships to conserve the Gulf of Maine ecosystem. We have also selected ten National Wildlife Areas where investments will be made to improve public access to infrastructure, create new trails, and supporting low-impact uses.
In addition, our National Conservation Plan is providing support to Earth Rangers so that more kids will learn about wildlife and what they can do to help conserve it.
Quick Facts
- In 2014, the Government of Canada took a number of actions to conserve and restore our natural environment such as:
- Protected 7,753 hectares of ecologically sensitive land under the Natural Areas Conservation Program.
- Funded 51 projects under the National Wetland Conservation Fund, with a $7.3 million investment over the next three years.
- Invested $6.4 million to support 106 new local conservation projects through the Habitat Stewardship Program's Species at Risk Funding Stream, which encourages voluntary stewardship actions to restore and conserve species at risk and their habitats.
- Invested $2.7 million to support 82 local conservation projects through the Habitat Stewardship Program's Prevention Stream, which prevent other species from becoming a conservation concern.
- Invested $2.9 million to support 65 new local conservation projects through the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk, Species at Risk Stream.
- Invested $635,510 to support 23 local conservation projects through the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk's Prevention Stream, which prevent other species from becoming a conservation concern.
- Invested an additional $11 million for more than 200 new projects under the Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program.
- Announced a total of $8 million over five years, and $725,000 ongoing, for ten National Wildlife Areas across Canada.
- Advanced work to create the first national urban park and started work to develop Canada's network of marine protected areas in five priority bioregions.
- Passed legislation to protect Nááts'ihch'oh National Park Reserve under the Canada National Parks Act, formally creating Canada's 44th national park.
Quote
"Our Government is building on the significant action we've taken since 2006 to protect the environment with new and expanded initiatives under the National Conservation Plan. Since officially launching this plan last year, we have made substantial progress on developing and coordinating stewardship efforts to conserve and restore lands and waters across the country while connecting Canadian families to nature in and around their communities."
– The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council
Related Product
For more information on the National Conservation Plan, please visit the National Conservation Plan.
Associated Links
More information on the National Wetland Conservation Fund , the Species at Risk Act, the Habitat Stewardship Program, the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk, and Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program is available online.
Environment Canada's Twitter page
Environment Canada's Facebook page
SOURCE Environment Canada
Ted Laking, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of the Environment, 819-997-1441; Media Relations, Environment Canada, 819-934-8008
Share this article