Supporting habitat stewardship projects for Monarchs and other species at risk in Ontario and across Canada

PRINCE EDWARD POINT, ON, Sept. 6, 2024 /CNW/ - Protecting and restoring nature is vital in the fight against biodiversity loss and climate change. The Government of Canada is committed to safeguarding species at risk and the habitats they depend on to ensure a resilient and thriving environment, and healthy, prosperous communities for current and future generations.

Today, Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced up to $6.2 million in funding through the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. This funding will support 38 conservation projects across Canada, led by communities, individuals, and non-government organizations, to help recover species at risk in their local areas.

The Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk plays an important role in the implementation of the Species at Risk Act through the conservation of species at risk. In Ontario, 12 projects will receive up to $1.3 million, including these Monarch stewardship projects:

• Nature Conservancy of Canada will continue to steward habitats of species at risk, including the Monarch and the Eastern Whip-poor-will in the Rice Lake Plains Area. The project will be expanded by an additional 6.2 hectares and extended by a year to include prescribed burns, aiming at enhancing native plant diversity and habitat complexity.
• Rural Lambton Stewardship Network will build on its ongoing work to recover the Monarch and the Grasshopper Sparrow in southwestern Ontario. This will involve the creation of an additional 116 hectares of tallgrass prairie, providing foraging and breeding habitat for these species.

Through close collaboration with partners, the Government of Canada is making significant strides in the protection of species at risk and their habitats. These efforts align with the recently launched 2030 Nature Strategy, a national plan to implement the ambitious nature protection goals under the Kunming–Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed upon at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity in Montréal, in December 2022.

Quotes

"Nature is central to the Canadian identity and the health and well-being of our families and communities. I am inspired by the efforts of environmental groups and communities across the country to protect habitats and vulnerable species. By working together, we can make even greater strides to safeguard the natural spaces we all depend on."
– The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"Projects like these demonstrate the type of cooperation, leadership, and action needed to protect species at risk and important habitats across the country. We are committed to supporting initiatives that will help nature and communities thrive."
– Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change

"The Rural Lambton Stewardship Network is grateful for the financial support committed through the Habitat Stewardship Program. The financial support provided by the Habitat Stewardship Program aids in the facilitation of increasing native grassland bird habitat and Monarchs' meadow habitat on the landscape. Since its inception in 1994, The Rural Lambton Stewardship Network prides itself on being able to provide the 'one window approach' to all your habitat improvement needs. The Rural Lambton Stewardship Network continues to be leaders in tallgrass prairie restoration, thanks in most part to Ontario's landowners and partners such as the Habitat Stewardship Program."
– Jake Lozon, Public Land Manager, Rural Lambton Stewardship Network

"Ecological restoration takes a strategic, long-term approach, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada welcomes this Habitat Stewardship Program funding to help ensure species-at-risk habitats are restored so that nature can thrive. The Nature Conservancy of Canada is grateful for the Government of Canada's support for species-at-risk habitat protection and significant habitat stewardship projects. Species-at-risk recovery is a vital component of biodiversity conservation and restoring nature makes it possible."
– Mark Stabb, Program Director–Central Ontario East, Nature Conservancy of Canada

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada established the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk as part of Canada's national strategy for the protection of species at risk. Environment and Climate Change Canada administers Habitat Stewardship Program funds for terrestrial stewardship projects that contribute directly to the recovery objectives and population goals of species at risk listed on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act and that prevent other species from becoming a conservation concern.
• The Government of Canada is committed to working toward halting and reversing nature loss in Canada by 2030 and achieving a full recovery for nature by 2050, as well as conserving 30 percent of land and water by 2030.
• The Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk contributes to Canada's biodiversity and conservation goals by protecting and restoring habitats of species at risk and will celebrate its 25th anniversary next year.
• Since its establishment in 2000, the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk has supported over 3,800 new and enhanced conservation projects by providing more than $232 million in funding.
• On June 20, 2024, Minister Guilbeault announced up to $258,583 in funding from the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk 2024–2025, granted to the Canadian Wildlife Federation, to help recover the Monarch population by creating feeding, breeding, and roosting habitats in agricultural and urban areas near the southern Great Lakes.
• This investment is a result of the call for applications that occurred in the fall of 2023 for projects starting in 2024–2025.

Related products

• Backgrounder: 38 Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk Projects 2024–2025

Associated links

• Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk

Environment and Climate Change Canada's X (Twitter) page

Environment and Climate Change Canada's Facebook page

SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

Contacts: Kaitlin Power, Senior Press Secretary and Communications Advisor, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 819-230-1557, [email protected]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free), [email protected]