GOVERNMENT OF CANADA INVESTING IN COMMUNITY ACTION TO PRESERVE LOCAL HABITAT
AND SPECIES AT RISK IN NEW BRUNSWICK

QUISPAMSIS, NB, Nov. 2 /CNW/ - The Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) and Member of Parliament for Fundy Royal, on behalf of Canada's Environment Minis
ter, the Honourable Jim Prentice, today announced funding from the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. In total, $25,000 in federal funding will support environmental action focusing on conservation and protection of species at risk and their habitats, helping to preserve Canada's biodiversity.

"As part of the International Year of Biodiversity, this Habitat Stewardship Project funding in New Brunswick will generate awareness of the vast array of at-risk and protected species across the province, such as the Atlantic right whale and the Piping Plover," said Minister Moore.

"These projects will help to protect Canada's rich biodiversity for generations to come," said Minister Prentice. "Our government is proud to support the Inner Bay of Fundy Salmon Habitat Stewardship Forum through the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. Your actions, large or small, will help to protect the abundance and variety of life that is part of our natural heritage."

Through this project, the Fundy Model Forest will focus on the development of a watershed level plan that will promote the maintenance and restoration of Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon and American eel. The Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon is listed as an endangered species under the Species at Risk Act, while the American eel is considered a species of special concern. The Fundy Model Forest will engage stakeholders to develop priorities for the implementation of projects to conserve and protect these two important species.

"Habitat Stewardship Program funding will help develop stronger links between organizations that are working to restore Inner Bay of Fundy salmon populations," said Nairn Hay, general manager of the Fundy Model Forest. "In addition, it will allow us to ensure that habitat is accessible to salmon and other fish species throughout the Upper Salmon, Big Salmon and Point Wolfe watersheds."

The goal of the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk is to contribute to the recovery and protection of species listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern under the Species at Risk Act.

Projects that will receive funding this year include stewardship actions to conserve habitat for plant species at risk, negotiations with landowners to develop voluntary Land Care Agreements, targeted educational outreach efforts to reduce the entanglement of species at risk in fishing gear, and the enhancement of water quality and aquatic habitat on private lands to benefit aquatic species at risk. They will be undertaken with many partners such as agricultural producers, private landowners, and commercial fishers.  These projects will benefit many species at risk, including the north Atlantic right whale, Steller sea lion, swift fox, and small white leek.

The Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk is administered by Environment Canada and managed cooperatively with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Parks Canada Agency. More information on the Species at Risk Act and the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk can be found on the Internet at: http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/ or http://www.ec.gc.ca/hsp-pih/default.asp?lang=En&n=59BF488F-1.

For more information and to view a backgrounder on this announcement, please visit the Web site of Environment Canada, at http://www.ec.gc.ca/.

(Également offert en français)

                                                 

For further information:

Please see the attached backgrounder or contact:

Pascale Boulay Press Secretary Office of the Minister of the Environment 819-997-1441	Media Relations Environment Canada 819-934-8008 1-888-908-8008
Canada's Environment Minister Twitter page: http://twitter.com/jimprentice	Environment Canada's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/environmentcan