:
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair and members of the committee. I very much appreciate the opportunity to speak with you today about habitat conservation. I've been engaged in this area for many years, much of my 35-year career in the public service, and it's interesting to see how our understanding of effective habitat conservation has evolved over the last few decades.
It is also interesting to note the growing range of organizations and approaches involved.
[Translation]
The 2010 Global Biodiversity Outlook identifies habitat loss and degradation as the biggest drivers of global biodiversity loss. In a recent NANOS poll, more respondents identified conserving natural habitat as the top priority for fish and wild life conservation in Canada over any other action.
[English]
Healthy, biologically diverse natural areas also provide many natural benefits to people. Commonly referred to as ecosystem services, they provide critical support and underpin Canada's economy and quality of life. Examples include mitigating flood and drought, filtering our air and water, and offering opportunities for education, recreation, and inspiration.
When Canadians think about habitat conservation, they often think first of protected areas. The core of Canada's conserved lands consists of protected areas such as our Environment Canada national wildlife areas and migratory bird sanctuaries, national parks, provincial parks, ecological reserves, and other such areas. These are established and managed by governments, in some cases through co-management agreements with aboriginal communities, or in cooperation with local communities, such as Community Pastures in the Prairies.
In addition to formal protected areas, there are a number of other area-based conservation measures in place in Canada that effectively conserve habitat. Conservation organizations such as Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Nature Conservancy of Canada, and other organizations acquire and manage lands for conservation. Efforts are under way to begin to integrate these private protected areas into Canada's national reporting.
While this is expected to increase the extent of Canada's conservation landscape accounted for, perhaps by 1% or 2%, both the national and international communities agree on the importance of reflecting and recognizing the broader range of contributions by others to conservation.
Effective conservation means much more than just protected areas. The vast majority of species depend on the other 90% of the landscape, so it is essential to recognize the value of what is sometimes called the working landscape. For example, natural areas remain within agricultural areas and managed forests, whether on public or private lands, and are important for Canada's biodiversity. Sound stewardship of these areas will make a significant contribution to the conservation of wild species and the maintenance of healthy ecosystems.
Canada is the first country to have initiated a dialogue on how we will define other effective area-based conservation measures. The Canadian Council on Ecological Areas is undertaking further work to define this term.
Typically, when we think of sound stewardship of habitat on prairie or public lands, we think of environmental organizations. But we also need to think about and recognize the contribution of aboriginal communities, municipalities, farmers, ranchers, private land owners, business leaders, and many others who can and are making a difference. These people are managing habitat by adopting best practices, developing environmental farm plans, restoring wetlands, and taking other actions in support of habitat conservation. Often, these successes are rooted in partnerships.
Where has habitat stewardship, the responsible planning, and management of resources worked well? I'll give you two examples.
[Translation]
The North American Waterfowl Management Plan is a continental effort to conserve sufficient wetland and associated uplands habitats to sustain healthy populations of waterfowl shared by Canada, the United States and Mexico. While the program is continental in scope, implementation is regional and a large part of the success is due to the local partners, especially private landowners.
In Canada, partnerships called “habitat joint ventures” set priorities and guide investments. Governments provide project-based support. Since the establishment of the plan in 1986, over 8 million hectares of wetland and associated uplands have been permanently secured in Canada, while an additional 41 million hectares have been directly influenced through stewardship activities. Stewardship is a first step that can often lead to more permanent means of habitat conservation.
Another example of effectively bringing together diverse interests is the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement—a partnership between member companies of the Canadian Forest Products Association and leading environmental groups. Under the agreement, forest companies commit to upholding the highest environmental standards of forest management and conservation, while environmental organizations commit to global recognition and support for FPAC members' efforts.
The agreement applies to 72 million hectares of public forests licensed to FPAC member companies across Canada.
[English]
The federal government supports habitat conservation in several ways.
First, we take action directly through, for example, establishing and managing federal protected areas and being a good steward of federal lands. The federal government continues to play a role, an important catalytic role, for habitat conservation and stewardship through programs and initiatives that are generally well known.
My remarks include three programs that we're very proud of at Environment Canada and that are very well received. I won't go through the details of some statistics on the natural areas conservation program, the habitat stewardship program, and the ecological gifts program, which is a program under the Income Tax Act that provides a tax incentive for the conservation of lands. The federal role in these programs is more than the provision of funding or a financial incentive for habitat conservation. Projects are often based on information or conservation plans from Environment Canada, other federal departments, and even conservation organizations.
It is clear that habitat conservation is ultimately a local issue. The most effective groups, in my experience, are those that forge partnerships at the community or landscape level. These organizations, which have first-hand knowledge of the issues and pressures, can bring together all the affected parties, leverage the skills and strengths of various stakeholders, and work with them to develop conservation and sustainable development plans in support of shared outcomes.
It is important to find opportunities to support and enable voluntary community-driven stewardship initiatives, which can be so effective in designing long-lasting solutions. Sometimes, the key is simply a dedicated stewardship coordinator to bring interests together. Other times key information or technical assistance is required. Often catalytic or project-based funding may be what is needed.
Existing data, knowledge, and expertise on overall habitat conservation in Canada is widely available. The challenges are in collecting and making information accessible on a scale and in a form that's practical for conservation planning and implementation at the working landscape level. There have been some promising developments in new programs and online geospatial tools that will help.
Efforts to develop and apply a working landscape approach to habitat conservation planning and implementation are important. Such an approach helps to manage and buffer protected areas, identify and conserve other habitats, and inform land use plans and environmental assessments. A landscape approach brings government, non-governmental, and private organizations sharing data and resources and working together to achieve results and measure and report on progress on habitat conservation efforts in Canada.
Environment Canada and other federal natural resource departments have a key role to play in supporting habitat conservation within working landscapes. The federal government can help to ensure information is available and develop and promote best management practices in a range of sectors, including forestry, agriculture, mining, and energy.
The Government of Canada has committed to developing a national conservation plan to advance Canada's conservation objectives and better connect Canadians with nature. The previous studies that this committee has undertaken on conservation have been helpful in shaping the government's thinking to date on the plan. This current study on habitat conservation will no doubt further inform the ways in which a habitat conservation plan could complement and enhance current habitat conservation efforts.
In closing, habitat conservation is really about the whole landscape, not just formally protected areas. Success will depend on partnerships, finding a balance between conserved lands and stewardship, and through planning, identifying, and taking priority conservation actions. Governments at all levels have a role to play but can't make progress alone. The longest lasting results are usually the ones that directly engage those working on the ground in organizations and communities across Canada, and, I would also add, with those who are actually working on the land.
Thank you very much.
:
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
[Translation]
Thank you for inviting Parks Canada to speak to you about the development of a national conservation plan.
[English]
The stakeholders who appeared before you last year generally supported the idea of developing a national conservation plan and supported the proposed overarching purpose of protect, connect, restore, and engage.
As highlighted in your report and in the government's response, protected areas are instrumental to conservation achievements in Canada. In this context, I will immediately reiterate two commitments made by Parks Canada officials last year, which are that the agency will actively support the development of the plan, and through our conservation and public engagement programs we will support achieving the desired conservation outcomes under such a plan.
[Translation]
The report on your study regarding the development of a national conservation plan repeatedly highlights the importance of engaging a diversity of actors and stakeholders to achieve lasting conservation gains. We are pleased to now provide input to your committee's study to identify ways in which a national conservation plan can complement and enhance current habitat conservation efforts for terrestrial ecosystems in Canada.
[English]
I will leave for you a number of copies of the booklet. It provides numerous examples of recent important conservation achievements of the agency that nicely illustrate the value of the diverse partnerships we have built and have nurtured to make these conservation achievements possible. This booklet was produced in the context of Parks Canada being awarded the World Wildlife Fund Gift to the Earth award in 2011. In the words of the fund:
A Gift to the Earth award is WWF-International's highest accolade for conservation work of outstanding global merit. It is a recognition of inspiring leadership and conservation achievement that contributes to protecting the living planet.
I would now like to take a few moments to provide more details about one of the conservation achievements highlighted in the booklet to illustrate the type and diversity of partnerships involved. This is the story of the reintroduction of the black-footed ferret in Canada.
[Translation]
You have most likely heard before about the story of that small predator that was thought to be extinct for several decades. The discovery of a small remnant population in the United States captured the imagination of conservationists and the American population in general. Soon a captive breeding program was set up, followed by reintroductions first in the United States, then in Mexico, and in Canada. In Canada, it is in Grasslands National Park, in southern Saskatchewan, that conditions were thought to be best for its reintroduction. Captive-bred animals were first released in 2009 and we obtained proof of successful reproduction in the wild the following year. And now the population is growing.
[English]
From a factual, biological point of view, the bottom line is that this is a great success, but there are very few examples of successful reintroductions of species in Canada.
There are other important dimensions to this story. Thousands of children hear this story yearly and are left with a message of hope for the future. Thousands of adult Canadians get involved yearly, giving money, others giving their time, and all find it gratifying and inspiring to contribute to building a better Canada for future generations.
In this story, what is relevant to your study is the instrumental role played by all members of a very large team of partners who came together to work on a common goal. Let me emphasize, as we have done over the years, that this accomplishment would never have been possible without the active involvement of many.
This is not a simple issue of sharing financial resources. Money can't buy many things. Success required that a range of partners with unique and diverse expertise come together. Some of them are the zoos. In this case, it was the Toronto zoo and the Calgary zoo, who bred the animals before their release in the wild, who studied their diet and behaviour and adapted their rearing protocols to enhance the survival of released animals, and who have used this great story to educate thousands of children and their parents.
Veterinary colleges throughout Canada shared their expertise in identifying and controlling threatening diseases and parasites.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shared their vast experience in rearing, releasing, and monitoring reintroduced populations.
Foundations and numerous individual Canadians donated money.
Canadian and foreign scientists studied various aspects of ferret biology that facilitated their reintroduction.
And individual Canadians volunteered time at various stages of the initiative. That includes, most recently, those who spend night after night in the darkness of the prairies monitoring this elusive nocturnal predator.
This is not an exhaustive list, but it illustrates the diversity of partners who got engaged even within the confines of a national park. There is no single organization that possesses that range of expertise. This is one fundamental value of partnerships that the national conservation plan can facilitate by providing an engaging framework where groups with diverse expertise will find a natural fit.
At this stage, please allow me to reiterate the importance of well-designed and well-managed protected areas in Canada's conservation agenda. Black-footed ferrets were reintroduced in a national park for good reason. National parks, like most other forms of protected areas, provide safe and sufficient habitat for wildlife populations over the long term.
This was necessary for the establishment of a self-sustaining population of black-footed ferret, as most of its natural habitat outside the park has been lost. What is true for the ferret is also true for many other species, be they large charismatic species like grizzly bears or little-known cryptic species like the Banff Springs snail, or the Bolander's quillwort, a rare aquatic plant found in Canada only in Waterton Lakes National Park.
As this committee has heard in various contexts over time, it is important for Canada to maintain systems of protected areas that represent the diversity of environments found on our lands and in our waters. We offer that Parks Canada's efforts to complete the representation of Canadian natural regions through its network of national parks are a key contribution to the national conservation effort.
I will add here that Parks Canada's work to establish new national parks always depends on strong partnerships. Close cooperation with the Province of Saskatchewan was necessary to establish Grasslands National Park, and it is still essential today to complete land acquisitions for the park.
Strong positive relationships with the ranching community are also essential, leading to ranching families willingly selling their lands to the crown to consolidate the park, and, as importantly, to adopt ranch management techniques that are sympathetic to conserving the ecological integrity of the park. To use the proposed terminology of the national conservation plan, the engagement of the ranching community supports protection, connection, and restoration efforts of the Government of Canada and its many partners.
The story of reintroducing the black-footed ferret through partnership is not an exception. The Gift to the Earth booklet, which I will leave with you, represents several other such stories. They involve new park establishment, maintaining healthy habitat, recovering species at risk, and awareness-building and environmental education initiatives.
Partners include aboriginal communities, provincial agencies, local governments, extractive industries such as the Bowater Mersey Paper Company, industries involved in the “recreo-touristic” domain, universities, research institutes, and non-governmental organizations.
Your report on the development of a national conservation plan, tabled last year, states: “To be successful, an NCP will need to involve as many Canadians as possible in its scope and mandate.”
[Translation]
I hope the examples I just provided give you a good indication of the range and types of partners presently involved in conservation efforts in Canada.
In closing, I will simply repeat that Parks Canada supports the idea of developing a national conservation plan that will engage those already involved and broadens it. We are committed to help in developing such a plan.
Thank you.