Ducks Unlimited Canada’s Position on Development Projects

Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is committed to responsible environmental stewardship and sustainable development, guided by sound science and evidence-based decision-making. We believe that economic progress and conservation must go hand in hand.

Ducks Unlimited Canada Position on the proposed Alto Highspeed Rail Project

We have had significant success using our science, data and conservation expertise to support the development of stronger land-use planning and environmental policies that improve conservation outcomes. Our work focuses on the long-term conservation of wetlands and associated habitats through on-the-ground actions such as restoration, land securement, conservation programs and policy tools that help avoid or reduce impacts at a broader scale.

Central to this commitment is our support for the mitigation hierarchy, a widely recognized framework for managing environmental impacts. This approach prioritizes avoiding impacts wherever possible, minimizing those that cannot be avoided, and, as a last resort, mitigation efforts which could include restoring affected environments and offsetting any remaining impacts. Ideally, this framework helps ensure that infrastructure projects are planned and delivered in a way that provides positive, or at minimum, net-neutral ecosystem outcomes on the landscape, benefitting wildlife and communities.

It is important to note that Ducks Unlimited Canada is not a regulatory body and does not have oversight authority or enforcement powers over development activities. DUC does not have any authority to approve or reject individual infrastructure projects on private or public lands.