The Provincial Government is assisting the Nature Conservancy of Canada in acquisition of Boughton Island, Environment, Energy and Forestry Minister Jamie Ballem announced today. The province will contribute $300,000 to this project from its Resource Land Acquisition Fund. This fund uses some of the proceeds from the sale of non-essential Government lands to acquire key properties.
Over the past few months, the non-governmental Nature Conservancy of Canada has been negotiating an agreement to acquire all the privately-owned acreage on Boughton Island. The balance of the island is owned by the Province and protected under the provincial Natural Areas Protection Act. The Conservancy has reached a purchase agreement, but must have all the funds confirmed by September 15. At a press conference today, Minister Ballem confirmed the province’s support.
“I am pleased that our government could respond quickly, and in a significant way, to the Nature Conservancy’s request for support,” Minister Ballem said. “With its diverse habitats, Boughton Island is one of our most important offshore islands. It includes a colony of nesting Great Blue Herons, habitat for the endangered Piping Plover and Common Terns, as well as a range of other animals and plants,” he noted. The Nature Conservancy thanked the Province for its contribution today, noting that this brings it closer to the $2.3 million needed to complete the acquisition; the group needs to raise a further $600,000 by September 15. If successful in its fund raising efforts, the Conservancy plans to turn the island over to Government for long- term protection and management. That would place the entire area of Boughton Island in public ownership.