April 20, 2012
As part of Earth Day celebrations this year the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC) has reached a new milestone in the protection of natural lands in Manitoba with the signing of its 600th conservation agreement, which will permanently conserve 93 privately owned acres of uplands and 51 acres of wetlands in the Turtlehead Creek watershed in the Turtle Mountains.
“The work this organization is doing to protect Mother Earth is one of Manitoba’s best-kept environmental secrets,” said Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh. “In total, conservation agreements now ensure more than 110,000 acres of wetlands, grasslands and riparian areas found on private land -an area 12.5 times bigger than Birds Hill Provincial Park -will continue to be protected across the province.”
Established in 1986 under the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Act, MHHC is a Crown corporation responsible to the minister of conservation and water stewardship with a mandate to conserve, enhance and restore fish and wildlife habitat.
“The minister has asked our corporation to sharpen the focus of our agreements to areas that protect the quality of our water in Manitoba, specifically Lake Winnipeg and groundwater,” said Tim Sopuck, chief executive officer, MHHC. “We are looking forward to future conservations agreements that will contribute to this important work.”
All of the corporation’s work is conducted through voluntary conservation agreements with Manitobans on private lands. Payments provided to landowners for these agreements have now reached a total of $8.2 million and MHHC has issued a further $700,000 in tax receipts for donated lands.
Through the expansion of parks and protected areas and through partnership with First Nations, environmental groups, and organizations like MHHC, Manitoba has protected 6.6 million hectares, or 10.2 per cent of the province.
Mackintosh also announced new measures to renew urbanduck habitat in St. Vital Park and protect natural lands in southwestern Manitoba.
“We want people to live in harmony with the environment and one way to do that is by taking measures to protect the planet,” said Mackintosh. “Duck nests in St. Vital Park in south Winnipeg and a new conservation agreement in the Turtle Mountains mark our commitment to protect natural areas in Manitoba.”
The minister took part today in a provincewide wetland enhancement program by installing eight artificial duck-nesting tunnels at St. Vital Park. In partnership with the Delta Waterfowl Foundation, the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation has installed and maintains 1,785 nesting tunnels across Manitoba.
Research has shown that nest tunnels improve the hatching success rate to about 80 per cent, compared to a success rate that can be as low as five per cent for birds nesting on the ground. This is because the tunnels provide female mallards with a safe place to hatch their eggs where predators cannot reach.
More information about the conservation agreement process is available on the MHHC website at http://www.mhhc.mb.ca/.
The Province of Manitoba is distributing this release on behalf of the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation and the Government of Manitoba.
EARTH DAY CELEBRATED BY SIGNING OF 600TH PRIVATE LANDOWNER
PERPETUAL CONSERVATION AGREEMENT, EXPANDING URBAN DUCK HABITAT
“The work this organization is doing to protect Mother Earth is one of Manitoba’s best-kept environmental secrets,” said Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh. “In total, conservation agreements now ensure more than 110,000 acres of wetlands, grasslands and riparian areas found on private land -an area 12.5 times bigger than Birds Hill Provincial Park -will continue to be protected across the province.”
Established in 1986 under the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Act, MHHC is a Crown corporation responsible to the minister of conservation and water stewardship with a mandate to conserve, enhance and restore fish and wildlife habitat.
“The minister has asked our corporation to sharpen the focus of our agreements to areas that protect the quality of our water in Manitoba, specifically Lake Winnipeg and groundwater,” said Tim Sopuck, chief executive officer, MHHC. “We are looking forward to future conservations agreements that will contribute to this important work.”
All of the corporation’s work is conducted through voluntary conservation agreements with Manitobans on private lands. Payments provided to landowners for these agreements have now reached a total of $8.2 million and MHHC has issued a further $700,000 in tax receipts for donated lands.
Through the expansion of parks and protected areas and through partnership with First Nations, environmental groups, and organizations like MHHC, Manitoba has protected 6.6 million hectares, or 10.2 per cent of the province.
Mackintosh also announced new measures to renew urbanduck habitat in St. Vital Park and protect natural lands in southwestern Manitoba.
“We want people to live in harmony with the environment and one way to do that is by taking measures to protect the planet,” said Mackintosh. “Duck nests in St. Vital Park in south Winnipeg and a new conservation agreement in the Turtle Mountains mark our commitment to protect natural areas in Manitoba.”
The minister took part today in a provincewide wetland enhancement program by installing eight artificial duck-nesting tunnels at St. Vital Park. In partnership with the Delta Waterfowl Foundation, the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation has installed and maintains 1,785 nesting tunnels across Manitoba.
Research has shown that nest tunnels improve the hatching success rate to about 80 per cent, compared to a success rate that can be as low as five per cent for birds nesting on the ground. This is because the tunnels provide female mallards with a safe place to hatch their eggs where predators cannot reach.
More information about the conservation agreement process is available on the MHHC website at http://www.mhhc.mb.ca/.
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The Province of Manitoba is distributing this release on behalf of the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation and the Government of Manitoba.
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