Charlottetown, PE, May 14, 2010—The Government of Prince Edward Island has taken a major step towards ensuring the sustainability of PEI’s most valued wetlands. Minister of Environment, Energy and Forestry, Richard Brown, announced that the Province would invest $100,000 annually for three years towards the Wetland Sustainability Fund as part of the Atlantic Habitat Partnership Initiative.

The Atlantic Habitat Partnership Initiative (AHPI) is a partnership between the Federal Government, the Atlantic Provincial Governments and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC), to establish a wetland sustainability fund to protect, maintain and restore over 100,000 acres of provincially significant wetlands on over 1,000 wetland sites across Atlantic Canada.

“This provincial investment will result in more than $1 million in expenditures on PEI through a conservation partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada,” noted Minister Brown. “This funding will help address a number of government priorities: enhanced watershed management, mitigating nitrate issues and the creation of jobs in rural areas. The Province understands that wetlands occupy an important place in the natural environment of PEI, especially in the provision of clean drinking water.”

Wetlands are one of our most threatened ecosystems, with up to 70 per cent of wetlands in settled areas of Canada having been lost or degraded. Doug MacDonald, DUC National Director for PEI, indicated that “Ducks Unlimited Canada has been working closely with the federal government and the provincial governments of Atlantic Canada to ensure that we leave a legacy to future generations by conserving our most valued natural resources.”

Healthy wetlands are critical for clean water, biodiversity, habitat protection for species at risk, greenhouse gas reduction through carbon capture, and flood protection by buffering and reducing the effect of major storm events. In addition to the numerous direct benefits to the environment, wetlands provide beautiful natural areas for recreation year-round.

For more information, contact:

Krista Elliot, k_elliot@ducks.ca
Communications Coordinator
Ducks Unlimited Canada
Phone: 902-667-8726

Province of Prince Edward Island contact:

Kim Devine, kmdevine@gov.pe.ca
Communications
Dept. of Environment, Energy & Forestry
Phone: 902-368-5286