On Friday, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau, on behalf of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Jonathan Wilkinson, announced more than $25 million in funding to conserve, restore, and enhance critical wetlands and grasslands in the Prairie provinces:
Ducks Unlimited Canada will receive up to $19.28 million over three years for projects to conserve and restore wetland and grassland habitats in the Prairies, including the restoration of croplands to grasslands. These lands will capture and store carbon, while providing a range of other ecological benefits.
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, including improving water quality and supporting wildlife habitat.
These 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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