MONCTON, N.B. -- January
19, 2011 -- Canada's Environment Minister
Peter Kent today announced the Nature Conservancy
of Canada's successful acquisition of Johnson's
Mills Properties-3.74 hectares (9.25 acres)
of land near Moncton, New Brunswick. This
project was secured in part with funding
from Environment Canada's Natural Areas
Conservation Program and has an overall
budget of $71,424.
"This acquisition
marks another achievement under our government's
Natural Areas Conservation Program. With
this investment, we are taking real action
to protect and conserve our ecosystems and
sensitive species for present and future
generations," said Minister Kent. "Your
actions today will help to protect the abundance
and variety of life that will constitute
an integral part of our natural heritage
tomorrow."
The Johnson's Mills
properties are in one of the focal areas
identified in the conservation plan for
the Chignecto Bay Natural Area in the upper
Bay of Fundy. The mudflats and tidal marshes
at the head of the Bay of Fundy are one
of the most important stopover sites for
shorebirds in North America. Every summer,
more than two million shorebirds fly through
the Bay on their winter migration from the
Canadian Arctic to South America, and feed
on the nutrient rich mudflats. These large
flocks of shorebirds also attract Peregrine
Falcon which congregate here to prey on
them, thus contributing to the survival
and recovery of this species as well. The
Peregrine Falcon is considered to be of
special concern by the Committee on the
Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
"In 1994, the Nature
Conservancy of Canada identified the need
to protect this precious habitat at Johnson's
Mills and today we have increased the size
of the reserve substantially," said
Linda Stephenson, Regional Vice President
of the Nature Conservancy of Canada's Atlantic
Region. "Piece by piece we have secured
over 190 hectares (470 acres) of critical
habitat for migrating shorebirds."
The Government of Canada's
$225-million Natural Areas Conservation
Program is an important on-the-ground initiative
that takes real action to preserve Canada's
environment and conserve its precious natural
heritage for present and future generations.
It is through the ongoing contribution from
all donors to this program that we can ensure
the protection of natural areas in Canada.
As of July 2010, under the Natural Areas
Conservation Program 142,236 hectares (351,384
acres) have been conserved, protecting habitat
for over 101 species at risk.
Thank You
