Municipal Habitat Stewardship Agreement Signed in Flatrock

The Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Environment and Conservation, joined the Town of Flatrock today to sign a new Municipal Habitat Stewardship Agreement.

“I am very encouraged by the initiative that the Flatrock Town Council is demonstrating today to protect valuable wetland habitat and to increase the town’s environmental sustainability,” said Minister Hedderson. “The attitudes and actions of local town councils and community members who share wetland and upland areas with waterfowl and other wildlife play a vitally important role in the sustainability and conservation of these species.”

The Municipal Stewardship Program is unique to Newfoundland and Labrador, and was developed to encourage municipalities to recognize the value of wildlife habitat found in and near their municipal planning boundaries and then to accept a stewardship role in maintaining its integrity. The success of this program has been recognized both locally and internationally and has been heralded as an innovative and successful conservation program.

Kevin Parsons, MHA for Cape St. Francis, joined Minister Hedderson for today’s announcement. “The true strength of a stewardship agreement lies in the empowerment of local residents to conserve and enhance local wildlife,” said Mr. Parsons. “The people of Flatrock continue to show their commitment as responsible stewards of the environment.”

Minister Hedderson congratulated the Town of Flatrock on their commitment to the environment and encouraged the residents to continue to enhance the wetlands throughout the years to come.

“The agreement is indeed of great importance to the Town of Flatrock and the Northeast Avalon area,” said Anthony Grace, Mayor of Flatrock. “This initiative highlights the town’s focus on environmental stewardship and the importance we place on increasing environmental sustainability in municipal planning. We look forward to the next steps of this process, specifically, to developing a Habitat Conservation Plan to guide management of these areas, and to building a strong stewardship ethic in the town to ensure long-term protection and enhancement of these habitats.”

The Municipal Stewardship Program serves as an important mechanism for protecting wildlife habitat located within municipal jurisdictions. Further information regarding the signing of the Municipal Habitat Stewardship Agreement can be found in the backgrounder below.

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BACKGROUNDER
Municipal Habitat Stewardship Agreement

In 1986, in light of drastic declines in North American waterfowl populations and in an effort to effectively reverse the trend, the governments of Canada and the United States signed the North American Waterfowl Management Plan with a goal to return waterfowl populations to levels of the 1970’s by actively conserving wetland and upland habitat. In 1994, Mexico also signed on to the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, making it a truly continental initiative.

To implement and forward the goals of North American Waterfowl Management Plan, joint ventures were established across North America. The Eastern Habitat Joint Venture was established in 1989. Partners include the six eastern Canadian provinces, Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Wildlife Habitat Canada, and the Nature Conservancy of Canada. The Newfoundland and Labrador node of the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture is administered by the Wildlife Division of the Department of Environment and Conservation. Its primary program seeking to conserve wildlife habitat in Newfoundland and Labrador is the Municipal Stewardship Program.

In addition to Flatrock, 28 other municipalities have signed stewardship agreements including Bay Roberts, Burgeo, Carmanville, Cartwright, Channel-Port aux Basques, Come by Chance, Deer Lake, Flower’s Cove, Gambo, Gander, Grand Falls-Windsor, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Hawke’s Bay, Labrador City, Mary’s Harbour, Port aux Choix, Red Bay, Spaniard’s Bay, Springdale, St Anthony, St. John’s, St. Lewis, Steady Brook, Stephenville Crossing, Torbay, Wabush, Whitbourne and Winterland. Corporate agreements have also been signed with the Iron Ore Company of Canada and Corner Brook Pulp and Paper Limited. In addition, several agreements have been signed with private landowners across the province.

2013 07 08         2:15 p.m.