As part of Canada's national strategy for the protection of species at risk, the Government of Canada established the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. The Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) is administered by Environment Canada and managed co-operatively with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Parks Canada Agency. It provides funding to successful applicants who conserve and protect species at risk and their habitats and helps those who conserve biodiversity.
Protecting habitat and contributing to the recovery of species at risk are the HSP's main goals. The Program focuses on results in three main areas:
- securing or protecting important habitat to protect species at risk and support their recovery;
- mitigating threats to species at risk caused by human activities; and
- supporting the implementation of other priority activities in recovery strategies or action plans, where these are in place or under development.
In addition to the above objectives, the Program aims to achieve a minimum of 1:1 leveraging on funds that it invests so that, for every $1 provided by the HSP, at least $1 is raised by project recipients. This leveraging can take the form of either financial or in-kind resources (volunteered labour, products or services). Partner funding and other support broaden the scope of projects, improve on-the-ground results, and strengthen the public and private collaboration that is essential to involving all Canadians in stewardship activities for species at risk.
There is a wide range of voluntary actions that Canadians take to care for the environment, ranging from conserving wild species and their habitats directly, to improving the quality of habitat by mitigating human impact. These types of conservation activities, particularly those that protect habitat, are essential to the recovery of species at risk. They are also instrumental in preventing other species from becoming at risk.
Some of the ongoing stewardship activities supported by the HSP include:
- removing invasive White Sweet Clover at Prairie Point Alvar in Ontario in order to improve the habitat of the Endangered Gattinger’s Agalinis, a branching, slender plant;
- developing a landscape management strategy for the winter habitat of the Threatened Woodland Caribou in Manitoba;
- recruiting local volunteers to rope off all-terrain vehicle trails in order to protect a bog that is the habitat to the largest population of the Endangered Eastern Mountain Avens in Nova Scotia;
- monitoring marine mammal populations and protecting important habitats from disturbance along the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific coasts.
In support of such stewardship activities, the National Conservation Plan, announced by Prime Minister Harper in May, includes additional funding of $50 million over five years to support voluntary actions to restore and conserve species and their habitats. Programs like HSP are an important part of the Government of Canada’s National Conservation Plan to conserve and restore our lands and waters, and connect Canadian families to our natural spaces.
Partnerships are the key to making stewardship a successful conservation tool in Canada. Federal and provincial governments encourage action by providing scientific information, technical assistance and economic incentives. Non-governmental organizations help private landowners and concerned citizens identify and implement effective stewardship activities. Many other partners are also involved, including fishers, Aboriginal organizations, educational institutions and community organizations.
Projects funded under the Program address both habitat conservation and threat mitigation. To date, these projects have benefited 431 species listed under the Species at Risk Act. The Program has established more than 370 partnerships with successful recipients and, overall, community involvement and partnerships are the strengths of this Program.
In 2014-2015, the HSP will provide $11.5 million for more than 160 projects of which 73 were previously approved. This year, the 90 new projects will leverage an additional $9.4 million from other partners, ensuring a total investment of $20.6 million.
To find out more on how stewardship actions contribute to the protection of species please visit our web site.
