GR8day for Canada – Nature Conservancy adds 976 acres in Port Joli area
It was our pleasure to attend the July 28th announcement at the Harrison Lewis Centre in Port Joli!
Nature Conservancy of Canada Protects 395 hectares (976 acres) on Nova Scotia’s South Shore
Port Joli, Nova Scotia (July 28, 2016) – The Nature Conservancy of Canada has finalized protection of 395 hectares (976 acres) of coastal properties in southwestern Nova Scotia in a region designated by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve because of its rich diversity of species. Protected habitat includes large salt marshes, mud flats, rocky shores, white sand beaches and coastal forests, which are home to the provincially-endangered Nova Scotia mainland moose and federally-endangered piping plover. Nearby, there are four migratory bird sanctuaries which support thousands of overwintering waterfowl.
With the addition of these 5 properties, Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) has now protected approximately 647 hectares (1600 acres) in Port Joli and more than 4040 hectares (10,000 acres) in southwestern Nova Scotia. Southwestern Nova Scotia is a priority area for NCC’s habitat conservation work due to the proximity of Thomas Raddall Provincial Park, Kejimikujik National Park, the Keji Seaside, and the Tobeatic Wilderness Area, which together support significant wildlife populations.
The Port Joli area conservation project was supported by funding from the Government of Canada through the Natural Areas Conservation Program, the Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, as well as many individual supporters.
A portion of this project was donated to the Nature Conservancy of Canada under the Government of Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program. This program provides enhanced tax incentives for individuals or corporations who donate ecologically significant land.
Quotes:
“Our Government is proud to support additional conservation measures in this UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve. We are pleased to strengthen the protection of wildlife habitat here in Nova Scotia, and across Canada.”
“I want to congratulate the Nature Conservancy of Canada and thank the many donors who made this initiative possible. Together with the support of the Government of Canada, we are working to protect this important wildlife habitat and conserve the natural beauty of the South Shore for generations to come.”
“The salt marshes we entrusted to NCC have been in the Robertson family since the late 1700’s. For generations they were very valuable properties because the marsh grass was a source of food for livestock. It is important to us that our family’s land be preserved in its natural state forever—for our kids and grandkids, and the entire community, to enjoy—which is why we chose to work with NCC.”
“I am happy to have been able to participate in this project—to be able to make a difference and to help create a refuge for biodiversity in East Port L’Hebert. I like NCC’s approach to conservation—people in our community will still be able to hunt and fish and use the lands as they have in the past. The land will remain pretty much wild, as it has been for years, and not closed off for public use.”
Facts:
Learn More:
The Natural Areas Conservation Program (NACP) of the Government of Canada is a unique public–private partnership, managed and directed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. To this day, $345 million has been invested in the NACP by the Government of Canada towards the conservation of our natural heritage. Moreover, an additional $500 million in matching funds has been raised by NCC and its partners and invested in the program.
To learn more about the Ecological Gifts Program, please visit http://www.ec.gc.ca/pde-egp/.
Visit: www.natureconservancy.ca/ns Twitter Facebook
Media Contact:
Kathryn Morse, Atlantic Director of Communications[email protected] | www.natureconservancy.ca
