President Obama signs on for Canada’s wetland conservation efforts

Signing of wetlands enhancement measure opens door for Canadian project funding

Bookmark and Share

Oak Hammock Marsh, Man., March 29, 2010 — While the world watches his plans for health care take shape, U.S. President Barack Obama also made a significant contribution to the health of continental wetlands conservation. On March 25, 2010, President Obama signed into law a bill to allow for funds raised in Canada to become eligible match for North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) projects funded for Canada. Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate had unanimously passed the bill after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill in October. Previously, Canadian contributions did not count toward the required match for these projects.

“This is the final step in the legislation process and great news for wetland conservation efforts in Canada,” says Jeff Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC). “This legislation will allow up to 50 per cent of the non-federal match for wetland conservation projects in Canada to be funded by Canadian conservation supporters.”

Since 1989, more than 1,900 NAWCA projects have conserved more than 25 million acres of habitat across North America. Each project requires at least a 1:1 match for each dollar from the U.S. federal government – however, the projects often attract two to three times that from conservationists, local governments and other sources. Over $1 billion in federal grants have been allocated for NAWCA projects – a figure that has leveraged an additional $3 billion from matching and non-matching funds.

Nelson says the increased support and engagement of our Canadian partners will prove invaluable toward assembling the funding necessary to conserve many more of Canada’s wetlands. Nelson also applauded the leadership of U.S. partners who supported this amendment, including Congressman Robert Wittman from Virginia who introduced the bill and all those who guided it through the process toward approval. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (NAWCC), which is the panel that administers the NAWCA program, deserve special credit for their support.

For more information, contact:

Duncan Morrison, d_morrison@ducks.ca
National Marketing and Communications
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Tel: 204-467-3202

 
BACK TO TOPBack to Top