Policy

Advocating for conservation action.

Approach

We share our conservation knowledge and expertise to inform the policies that are needed to create a future where people and nature thrive.

Long-term commitments from all levels of government are needed to address the colliding crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. As a passionate, non-partisan advocate for Canada’s wetlands, DUC’s policy recommendations are drawn from 85 years of habitat conservation and restoration experience and decades of conservation research, science and partnerships with people from all walks of life.

We’re also proud to play a leading role in delivering policy commitments on-the-ground — by physically moving the dirt— that positively change the landscape in ways that benefit both wildlife and people.

How we work with governments

We are partners, advisors and delivery agents. DUC works with legislators and key decision-makers at every level—federal, provincial/territorial and municipal—to advance conservation outcomes by:

Providing recommendations to shape legislation that impacts wetlands
Offering scientific information to support conservation decision making
Delivering on-the-ground habitat work to help achieve the goals of government conservation programs

Supporting federal policies and programs

DUC has a long history of influencing largescale conservation through national public policy efforts. We participate in a variety of federal conservation programs, including:

Natural Heritage Conservation Program

Focuses on establishing new protected and conserved areas by working with delivery partners like DUC to secure private lands and private interests in lands across Canada.

Nature-Smart Climate Solutions Fund

Invests in conservation projects with specific objectives to improve Canada’s resilience to climate change and to support biodiversity. Conserving wetlands and grasslands, DUC’s unique areas of expertise, are key to both objectives and are a focus of the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund.

Climate Action and Awareness Fund

Supports Canadian-made projects that help to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions as the country strives to build a sustainable net-zero emissions economy by 2050. DUC-supported climate action projects include research that is studying the role of wetlands as nature-based climate solutions.

British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund

A federally and provincially co-funded initiative to support protection and restoration activities for Pacific salmon and other priority wild fish stocks. Alongside our partners, DUC is delivering important restoration projects throughout the Fraser River Delta.

Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Fund

Provides funding for projects that help to restore aquatic ecosystems and mitigate human impacts on Canadian coastal and marine environments. With this funding, DUC has helped to conserve and restore some of Canada’s most threatened costal and freshwater wetland habitats.

North American Waterfowl Management Plan

A pioneering conservation effort between the governments of Canada, the United States and Mexico that was initiated in 1986 and is now regarded as the most successful model for international bird conservation. DUC is the primary facilitator of the on-the-ground conservation work needed to reach the waterfowl population objectives of NAWMP. We are also working to ensure ongoing support of NAWMP by the Government of Canada.

Leveraging nature-based solutions

Nature-based solutions are tools and actions that help communities mitigate and adapt to climate change while providing benefits for biodiversity. They use the power of nature to save nature. For example, wetlands store large amounts of carbon in their soil. Conserving wetlands ensures this carbon remains locked in, preventing it from being released into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas. At the same time, conserving these habitats provides essential homes for wildlife and species at risk.

The environmental benefits that habitats like wetlands, grasslands and forests provide are gifts from nature that keep on giving. From water filtration to flood protection to carbon storage, Canada’s natural areas provide more than just a picturesque backdrop to our favourite outdoor activities. They support the health and wellbeing of us all.

Contributing to the Government of Canada’s climate and biodiversity goals

Nature-based solutions will play a key role in achieving the ambitious climate and biodiversity goals set by the Government of Canada:

To protect and restore 30 per cent of its lands and 30 per cent of its waters by 2030 towards the goals of halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030 and restoring biodiversity levels by 2050.
To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Ducks Unlimited Canada is a trusted conservation partner that’s working hard to help achieve these targets by transforming government investments into on-the-ground results. We are also lending our support to develop Canada’s 2030 Biodiversity Strategy that will establish a shared vision for halting and reversing biodiversity loss in Canada, focus on habitat conservation, species at risk, sustainable resource management, and Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, and guide how Canada implements the historic Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework domestically.