Kawartha Land Trust to Receive $1.7 Million from Environment and Climate Change Canada

Kawartha Land Trust (KLT) is set to receive $1.7 million over five years from Environment and Climate Change Canada's (ECCC) Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF), furthering its land protection efforts in the Kawarthas announced Monday.

Shoreline of Kawartha Land Trust’s new Otonabee River Property, secured with support from the Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund (Photo by Veronica Price-Jones/KLT)

As a direct result of the funding, KLT acquired 200 more acres of wetlands and forests in the Kawarthas through the securement of two new properties. They now protect over 5,070 acres of land in the Kawarthas, including 1,739 acres of wetlands.

The newly protected 200 plus additional acres of wetlands and forests includes 154 acres in Kawartha Lakes and 58 acres in Otonabee-South Monaghan township. Both properties include Provincially Significant Wetlands (PSW) and the Kawartha Lakes property is noted as an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI).

The goal of this project is to protect CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalents) conversion through the protection of natural habitat in the Kawarthas by inspiring landowner participation in protecting carbon on their lands through a mix of land protection options and the outright purchase/protection of land with high carbon storage value vital habitat for plant and animal species, including a number of at risk species.

“We are so lucky in the Kawarthas to live where people have been caring for the land for generations, leaving a lasting natural legacy for today,” says John Kintare, executive director of Kawartha Land Trust. “The funding from ECCC’s Nature Smart Climate Solution Fund will allow Kawartha Land Trust to reach out to key landowners across our landscape to help them understand the part their land plays in our local ecosystem. We will work with all who are willing to secure important carbon stores and enhance land management so that our local lands can have a global impact.”

ECCC announced the details of the investment over five years to support KLT’s ‘Sequestering Kawarthas’ Carbon Through Partners in Conservation’ project through the ECCC’s Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund.

The NSCSF is a $631 million, ten-year fund to support projects that restore and enhance wetlands, peatlands and grasslands that store and capture carbon through nature-based solutions.

“Canada matters in the global fight to conserve and protect biodiversity. We are home to twenty four percent of the world’s wetlands, twenty five percent of temperate rainforest areas and twenty eight percent of remaining boreal forests,” says The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, minister of environment and climate change. “These ecosystems are globally significant as they absorb carbon, mitigate against the impacts of climate change, and protect biodiversity.”

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Tiktok. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for PTBOBuzz newsletter here.