NORFOLK COUNTY, Ont. -- July 5, 2011 -- Canada's Minister of the Environment, the Honourable Peter Kent, announced the Nature Conservancy of Canada's successful conservation agreement for the Turkey Point Company property - 1,092 hectares of land in Norfolk County, Ontario. This project was secured in part with funding from Environment Canada's Natural Areas Conservation Program.
"This acquisition marks another achievement under our government's Natural Areas Conservation Program. With this investment, we are taking real action to protect and conserve our ecosystems and sensitive species for present and future generations," said Minister Kent. "Your actions today will help to protect the abundance and variety of life that will constitute an integral part of our natural heritage tomorrow."
The Turkey Point Company property is a priority conservation area and a provincially significant wetland located within the Southern Norfolk Sand Plain Natural Area. The property features a largely forested section that runs southwest and includes a mixture of large open-grown trees, plantings and natural forest. The land supports 12 species listed under the Species at Risk Act including the Snapping turtle, the Monarch butterfly, the Lake chubsucker and the Least Bittern. It is a staging area for waterfowl, a stopover site for landbirds such as the Chimney Swift and Rusty Blackbird and supports a variety of snakes and turtles, some of which are identified as rare/threatened.
"The conservation agreement that we have with the Turkey Point Company will ensure that their lands are managed to protect the many species that call this place home," remarked Chris Maher, Nature Conservancy of Canada Regional Vice President for the Ontario. "There are at least 16 national and/or provincial species at risk that use the forests and wetlands here, as do hundreds of other plant and animal species that play an important role in maintaining healthy habitats."
The Government of Canada's $225-million Natural Areas Conservation Program is an important on-the-ground initiative that takes real action to preserve Canada's environment and conserve its precious natural heritage for present and future generations. It is through the ongoing contribution from all donors that we can ensure the protection of natural areas in Canada. As of December 2010, the Natural Areas Conservation Program has protected 151,278 hectares of habitat, which includes habitat for 101 species at risk.
Natural Areas Conservation Program [Backgrounder 2011-06-20]
For more information, please see the attached backgrounder or contact:
Melissa Lantsman
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of the Environment
819-997-1441
Media Relations
Environment Canada
819-934-8008
