$10-million to fund the protection and expansion of 420,000 acres of green space in southern Ontario

In a collaborative effort, both Ontario legislators and the Canadian government are launching a new $10 million incentive to protect natural areas in Ontario. The new strategy is purpose-built to focus on the protection of at-risk green space throughout the province. 

As indicated in an official press release, this new strategy, which operates through Canada’s Enhanced Nature Legacy program, aims to contribute to the federal government’s goal of protecting 30 per cent of Canada’s land and water systems by 2030.

As a result, this new agreement —and its adjacent funding — will support the development of new protected areas while primarily expanding preexisting ones. 

Locations include biomes specific to southern Ontario, which according to both the provincial and federal agencies, are home to the highest index of biodiversity in all the province.

The result of this three-year project will be the protection of roughly 420,000 acres of land throughout the region. 

“Expanding protected and conserved natural areas is one of the most important actions to help curb the ongoing loss of nature and biodiversity,” said representatives of Environment and Climate Change Canada in an official statement. 

This tandem government effort aims to help Ontarians understand the risks of climate change while encouraging them to connect with nature by protecting their province.