The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Joan Shea, Minister of Environment and Conservation:

Provincial Government Partners with Municipalities to Conserve Wildlife Habitat

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak to this government’s tremendous success in creating partnerships with municipalities, corporations and landowners across the province to achieve conservation of wildlife through habitat protection.

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 by accepting a stewardship role.

Mr. Speaker, this has been a banner year as seven municipalities have signed or expanded their existing stewardship agreements. These include new agreements in Flatrock, Bonavista, Frenchman’s Cove, Garnish and St Lawrence as well as expansions of existing agreements in Grand Falls-Windsor and Deer Lake. Mr. Speaker, this brings the number of municipalities that have signed municipal stewardship agreements with the province to 33.

Mr. Speaker, the Provincial Government’s municipal stewardship is a result of the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture program - a partnership of governments, conservation organizations and local people implementing the goals and objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. This plan was signed by Canada and the United States in 1986, expanded to include Mexico in 1994, and pursues a partnership approach through habitat and species joint ventures. These partners work together to conserve wildlife habitat, in particular for our waterfowl, seabirds and sea ducks, but also for all bird species, right across North America.

Mr. Speaker, since the inception of the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture, my department’s Wildlife Division, on behalf of the people of the province, has administered and fostered this partnership in Newfoundland and Labrador and taken a leadership role in working towards its goals and objectives.

I look forward to working with the Stewardship Association of Municipalities towards future agreements. Thank you.

2013 11 28                                     2:50 p.m.