VANCOUVER — Canada’s environment minister has announced $89 million in federal funding for 10 greenhouse gas emission reduction projects as the government works toward the goal of conserving 30 per cent of the country’s land and water by 2030.
Steven Guilbeault made the announcement in British Columbia, where he says “evidence of climate change is striking,” referencing extreme weather events including flooding, drought and “devastating” wildfire seasons.
Guilbeault says about $50 million is slated for major projects in the province, including $37 million for the BC Parks Foundation that will be spent to protect about 4,000 hectares of private grasslands, forests and wetlands.
He says the Nature Trust of British Columbia will be given $8 million to preserve 552 hectares of “carbon-rich ecosystems” and protect habitats including grasslands, forests and wetlands that are home to at-risk species including the Western toad, Grizzly bears and southern mountain caribou.
The Nuxalk Nation will also receive more than $4 million to protect lands and animals in priority habitats, including the Great Bear Rainforest.
The federal government says other projects being funded through the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund will take place in Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.