Projects in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will improve ecological connectivity and help private land stewards, partners, and Indigenous governments voluntarily conserve 300 acres of land.
The Government of Canada is committed to protecting biodiversity and conserving 30 per cent of land and inland waters and 30 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2030. But to be most effective, these protected areas must be properly connected to ensure species can move freely, interact, and find food and suitable habitat.
Today, The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced more than $1.3 million in funding from the Parks Canada National Program for Ecological Corridors to two environmental non-profit organizations to lead corridor projects in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. These organizations will work collaboratively with municipal governments, voluntary landowners, and Indigenous groups to advance conservation planning and Indigenous stewardship in the maritime provinces.
The first project, in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, will be led by Birds Canada and will build capacity and leverage a network of partners to improve ecological connectivity from Sa' qewi-ilnuwey Awti (Big Salmon River Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area) to the Chignecto Isthmus Wilderness Area. Improvements to species monitoring and Indigenous Land Use and Guidance will expand knowledge of wildlife movement to determine the effectiveness of current actions and prioritization of future ones.
The second project, located in Nova Scotia, will be led by the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute and will help to develop a strategic plan with a variety of partners, including Indigenous governments and organizations; engage with private land stewards to conserve at least 300 acres of lands through voluntary stewardship mechanisms, community easements, or private land acquisition by a project partner; and identify the impacts of harvesting practices on connectivity to develop best practices for forestry organizations and private landowners.
Today's announcement builds on the nearly $6 million in funding to ecological corridor projects across Canada announced by Parks Canada in late 2024. Each project is being led by environmental non-profit, non-governmental organizations who will also provide nearly $7.5 million of in-kind and monetary contributions to advance on-the-ground connectivity work in 10 of the 23 national priority areas for ecological corridors. These priority areas were identified by Parks Canada in collaboration with a diverse range of partners, experts, stakeholders, and the public, using national-scale data and several scientific assessment methodologies. The priority areas indicate where ecological corridors would be most impactful toward achieving a well-connected network of protected and conserved areas. Initiated locally by organizations within these priority areas, these projects are being funded by the Parks Canada National Program for Ecological Corridors and aim to strengthen the network of protected and conserved areas in Canada.
Parks and protected areas, and other complementary conservation measures like ecological corridors, are part of "nature-based solutions" that help nature and people adapt to climate change. Ecological corridors are created to conserve connectivity so that species can move safely across the landscape. They also help build knowledge and understanding of the importance of a connected network of protected areas and inspire local action to reduce habitat fragmentation.
By working collaboratively with provinces, territories, Indigenous governments, and non-profit environmental organizations, like Birds Canada and the Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute, the Government of Canada is aiming to fulfill its commitment to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and achieve the full recovery of nature in Canada by 2050.
