What is a “Priority Place” anyway?
In Budget 2018, the Government of Canada invested a historic $1.35 billion to support work with other governments, Indigenous groups, non-profit organizations, and others in nature conservation.
This funding will support Canada in reaching its biodiversity goals, which are to protect a quarter of its lands and a quarter of its oceans by 2025, to create healthier habitats for species at risk, and to improve its natural environment.
The federal government, in collaboration with the provinces and territories, has agreed to implement the Pan-Canadian Approach to Transforming Species at Risk Conservation in Canada.
This new approach will shift from a single-species conservation approach to one that focuses on multiple species and ecosystems. Efforts will be concentrated on priority places, species, sectors and threats across Canada, thus enabling conservation partners to work together and achieve better outcomes for species at risk.
A portion of this funding supports conservation efforts in 11 priority places identified across Canada. Priority places are areas with significant biodiversity, concentrations of species at risk, and opportunities to advance conservation efforts.
In each priority place, the federal and provincial or territorial governments will collaborate with partners to develop and implement a conservation action plan coordinating actions to address the greatest threats to species at risk. Such actions include habitat stewardship, habitat restoration, and education and outreach.
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Canada’s 11 Priority Places:
- Forested Landscape – Prince Edward Island
- Kespukwitk / Southwest in Nova Scotia
- Wolastoq / St John River Valley in New Brunswick
- St Lawrence Lowlands – Quebec
- Long Point Walsingham Forest – Ontario
- Mixed Grass Prairie – Manitoba
- South of the Divide – Saskatchewan
- Summit to Sage – Alberta
- Dry Interior – British Columbia
- Southwestern British Columbia – British Columbia
- Southern Beringia – Yukon
