Manitoba organizations will receive a cut of more than $25 million in funding aimed at conserving prairie wetlands and grasslands, the federal government announced Friday.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the bulk of the funding — up to $19 million over three years — is going to Ducks Unlimited Canada for conservation and restoration projects, including the conversion of croplands to grasslands.
A further $4 million is headed to the Nature Conservancy of Canada for grassland/wetland enhancement projects, as well as $2.4 million to the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation, which will manage threatened grasslands to store carbon while benefiting southwestern Manitoba communities.
“The current extreme weather conditions and fires throughout Canada are one of the impacts of the changing climate,” said Bibeau.
“As our wetlands and grasslands are important components of the farming ecosystem, the work done through these Nature Smart Climate Solutions investments, as well as our Agricultural Climate Solutions projects, will sequester carbon and help ensure a healthier and more sustainable future for our land and waterways, as well as for the farmers who rely on them to feed Canadians.”