SPONSOR CONTENT

NCC 1 • SPONSOR CONTENT THE GLOBE AND MAIL • MONDAY , NOVEMBER 20 , 2017

The scent of pine in a forest, agrassland breeze on our face andthe sound of waves on a shoreline

invite us to connect with nature. Thanksto a unique public-private partnership,the Nature Conservancy of Canada(NCC) and its partners are increasing thenumber of outstanding natural areasacross our country that are protectedfrom future development. That meansmore opportunities for all Canadians toappreciate nature, and for the plantsand animals that depend on theseecologically important areas to thrive.

In 2007, the Government of Canadalaunched the Natural Areas Conser-vation Program (NACP) to advanceconservation initiatives on privateland. NCC administers the program.Using a science-based planning pro-cess, ecologically significant landsare secured for the future, throughdonation, purchase of land, or throughconservation agreements with privatelandowners.

More than 430,000 hectares (1 millionacres) of habitat – sustaining nearly 200species at risk – have been protectedunder the program since it began.

“This is an amazing feat of conserva-tion,” says John Lounds, president andCEO of NCC. “We have conserved areasof incredible ecological value that arenow integrated into Canada’s largernetwork of protected spaces. In fact,over 80 per cent of properties con-served under the program lie within twokilometres of national parks, provincialparks or other conservation areas.”

This network of natural corridors andconnected areas is important, because

it’s someone else’s land. Figuring outhow to connect these areas is reallyimportant, and the Nature Conservancyof Canada has been very effective inworking with private landowners –including ranchers and farmers – toacquire these lands.”

The federal government’s investmentin the NACP has been matched andexceeded by contributions of land andfunds from Canadians, other govern-ments and the private sector. Under themost recent NACP funding agreement,for every dollar provided by the federalgovernment, two additional dollars havebeen raised. This funding model hasfurther solidified the strong partner-ships of individuals, organizations, otherland trusts and government workingtogether to permanently conserveprivate lands across Canada’s diverseecosystems.

While the program’s success canbe measured in terms of the numberof acres of wetlands, grasslands and

grizzly bears, migrating shorebirdsand other species at risk don’t care iftheir resting, nesting or feeding areais located on private land or a publi-cally managed nature reserve. Theyare simply seeking habitat to survive.

As Catherine McKenna, minister ofenvironment and climate change, re-marks, “Animals don’t just stop because

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: MUSQUASH, NB, MIKE DEMBECK; CARIBOO, MIKE DEMBECK; KENAUK, QC, KENAUK NATURE

Canadians conserving together

NCC President and CEO John Lounds and Minister of Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna participatedin a Students on Ice expedition this summer, which visited Tallurutiup Imanga/Lancaster Sound.COURTESY, STUDENTS ON ICE FOUNDATION

This content was produced by RandallAnthony Communications in partnershipwith The Globe and Mail’s advertisingdepartment. The Globe’s editorial

department was not involved in its creation.

“We have conserved areasof incredible ecological valuethat are now integrated intoCanada’s larger networkof protected spaces. Infact, over 80 per cent ofproperties conserved underthe program lie within twokilometres of national parks,provincial parks or otherconservation areas.”

John Loundsis president and CEO of the NatureConservancy of Canada

“Animals don’t just stopbecause it’s someone else’sland. Figuring out how toconnect these areas is reallyimportant, and the NatureConservancy of Canadahas been very effectivein working with privatelandowners – includingranchers and farmers – toacquire these lands.”

Catherine McKennais minister of Environment andClimate Change

What does the largest stand of black maple in Quebec have in common with rare Alberta grasslands and the delicate beaches of the Bay of Fundy?All are natural treasures, protected today thanks to a unique public-private partnership that encourages Canadians to conserve the places they cherish.

forests that are now protected, thereare other ways to measure progress,too. Thanks to the NACP, endangeredpiping plovers in PEI can rest along a50-kilometre sand dune, moose inNova Scotia have an easier time travel-ling the narrow isthmus between NovaScotia and New Brunswick, and thewestern grebe has access to importantwetland habitat along the ColumbiaRiver in B.C.

“This is a program that all Canadianscan be proud of,” says Mr. Lounds. “TheNACP is making a tangible differencein our country’s efforts to increasebiodiversity, protect species at risk andsecure ecologically important areas thatcan help mitigate the potential effectsof climate change.”

ABOUT

The Government of Canada’s Natural Areas Conservation Program (NACP) is a unique public-private partnership thathelps non-government organizations secure ecologically sensitive lands to protect our country’s diverse ecosystems,wildlife and habitat. The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) administers the program, which also supports thework of Ducks Unlimited Canada and other land trusts and conservation organizations.

From the program’s inception in 2007 through to March 31, 2017, the Government of Canada has invested $300-mil-lion in the NACP. This has been matched by more than $580-million in contributions of donated land and fundsfrom individual Canadians, the private sector and provincial governments – resulting in the conservation of over430,000 hectares (1 million acres) in the past decade. The program is on track to achieve a $1-billion investment inconservation action by 2020. Visit natureconservancy.ca/nacp.

THE NATURAL AREAS CONSERVATION PROGRAM

TheNaturalAreasConservationProgram:

THE GLOBE AND MAIL • MONDAY , NOVEMBER 20 , 2017 SPONSOR CONTENT • NCC 2

By Lisa McLaughlin,Nature Conservancy of Canadavice-president conservationplanning and policy

There are no random acts of con-servation. As administrators ofthe Natural Areas Conservation

Program (NACP), the Nature Conser-vancy of Canada (NCC) has focused onsecuring and protecting our country’smost ecologically important places.Every decision to purchase land orenter into a land conservation agree-ment has been made to ensure we arehaving the maximum impact.

That impact can be measured quan-titatively. Since 2007, the NACP hasprotected high-priority areas across

Thanks to funding providedthrough the Natural Areas Con-servation Program (NACP), the

Kawartha Land Trust has protectedan iconic and ecologically importantarea of the Kawartha Lakes region inOntario, and has helped protect 26properties from future development.

“Land conservation is one of theways to permanently ensure the futureof a landscape,” says Kawartha LandTrust Executive Director Mike Hen-dren. He credits the NACP for manyof Canada’s conservation successes,particularly those achieved by smallerland trusts.

“The NACP has made land conserva-tion a more prominent national prior-ity and introduced some good criteriathat ensure other resources have tobe brought to the table, specificallywith the matching program,” he says.

Through the NACP, the Nature Con-servancy of Canada, which administersthe program, has provided more than

our region is a microscopic illustrationof the larger issues in Canada. It’s notjust about protecting a few key areas,it’s about building a natural areassystem for a whole region in orderto create impact.”

$13-million to regional and local landtrusts to help them secure ecologicallysignificant areas.

“Eighty-five per cent of the landin the Kawartha Lakes is privatelyowned,” says Mr. Hendren. “I think

the country that together are equivalentto two-thirds the size of Banff NationalPark. The majority of these areas arelocated in southern Canada, wheremost Canadians live and where thethreats to habitat – and the species thatlive there – are most acute.

As one of the most significant invest-ments that the federal governmentmakes in privately protected areas, theNACP plays an important role in helpingCanada reach its commitment to theConvention on Biological Diversity. Ourcountry has committed to conserve 17per cent of our terrestrial areas andinland waters as well as 10 per cent ofour coastal and marine areas. Thoseare ambitious goals, and we still have

much to do if we hope to reach thesetargets by 2020.

Protecting privately owned areasis one way to support these targets.Indeed, the International Union forConservation of Nature recognizes thatprotected areas can include what wetypically think of when we think of pro-tected areas – national and provincialparks – but also Indigenous conservedareas and privately protected areas.The integration of these three typesof areas creates a strong network ofcore areas, corridors and buffer zones.

The private land donor model facili-tated under the NACP also allows indi-vidual Canadians to play a meaningfulrole in conservation and advancing

Canada’s goals. Through conservationagreements, for example, landownerscan continue to live on and use theirland, subject to certain restrictions.This ensures that the land can con-tinue to provide habitat for speciesand perform its ecological functionsin perpetuity.

There is always more to be done,and we need to accelerate the pace andquality of work we’re doing. However,we have much to celebrate in the 10years of the NACP – which for me isa great expression of how public andprivate partnerships can enable us toachieve our conservation goals andprotect our most important placesand species.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: WIDEVIEW, SK, NCC; LUXOR LINKAGE WETLAND, B.C., BONNIE-LOU FERRIS; BUNCHBERRY MEADOWS, AB, NCC; CLARK’S GREBE, ALAN SCHMIERER – WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

NATU

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MANITOBASASKATCHEWAN

ALBERTA

BRITISHCOLUMBIA

NORTHWESTTERRITORIES

YUKON

NUNAVUT

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NEWFOUNDLANDAND LABRADOR

NEWBRUNSWICK

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

NOVASCOTIA

A public-private partnership for success

The properties conserved through the NACP are within reach of more than 29 million Canadians. NCC

Our country has committedto conserve 17 per cent ofour terrestrial areas andinland waters as well as 10per cent of our coastal andmarine areas. Those areambitious goals, and westill have much to do if wehope to reach these targetsby 2020.

Lisa McLaughlinis the Nature Conservancy ofCanada’s vice-presidentconservation planning and policy

Small land trusts leverage the powerof the NACP

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the nation’s leading not-for-profit, private land conservation organization, working to protect our most important naturalareas and the species they sustain. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect 2.8 million acres (more than 1.1 million hectares), coast to coast.

CONSERVATION

FAST FACTS

Mike Hendren, executive director of the Kawartha Land Trust, says theNACP has played an important role in protecting landscapes under threat ofdevelopment. NEIL EVER OSBORNE

10yearsof success

In the last 10 years, the Natural Areas ConservationProgram (NACP) has helped protect

283,339 hectares (700,146 acres)of forests across Canada.

That’s larger than the combined areas of the cities ofMontreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver.

Wetlands andlakes protected:>10,000 hectares(24,700 acres)

More than340 bird species

have beendocumented onNACP properties.

In the last 10 years,>13,000 hectares (32,000 acres)

in 43 Important Bird Areasacross Canada have beenconserved under the NACP.

Area of grasslandsprotected:

>46,000 hectares(113,000 acres)

Rivers and streamsprotected:

>5,400 kilometres

(natureconservancy.ca/oqo)