Federal government announces funding of wetland and grassland conservation projects

(Kara Oosterhuis/RealAgriculture)

On behalf of Minister and Environment and Climate Change Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau announced today (July 23) more than $25 million in funding to conserve, restore, and enhance critical wetlands and grasslands on the Prairies.

Minister Wilkinson stated that Western Canadians know that climate change is here. “They also know that in order to fight climate change and adapt to its impacts, we must embrace the power of nature. Protecting more wetlands and grasslands across the Prairies will make our communities more resilient, capture and store carbon, and support our iconic biodiversity.”

Three organizations will receive funds for their initiatives:

  • Ducks Unlimited Canada will receive up to $19.28 million over three years, for projects to conserve and restore wetland and grassland habitats, including the restoration of cropland to grassland;
  • Nature Conservancy of Canada will receive up to $4.05 million over three years for projects to retain and restore carbon stocks by conserving, restoring, and enhancing management of Prairie grasslands and wetlands; and
  • Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation will receive up to $2.4 million over three years for projects to conserve, restore, and enhance management of threatened grasslands and wetlands, in order to store carbon while providing a range of other benefits for local communities in the agricultural zone of southwestern Manitoba.

The initiatives are among fourteen projects to receive funding from the Nature Smart Climate Solutions fund in 2021-2022. Collectively, they are projected to conserve up to 30,000 hectares, restore up to 6,000 hectares, and contribute to the enhanced management of up to 18,000 hectares of wetlands, grasslands, and riparian areas.

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