The North American Waterfowl Management Plan was launched in 1986 by Canada and the United States to address a serious decline in waterfowl populations. In 1994, Mexico signed on to the Plan, making this initiative a truly continent-wide approach to habitat conservation.
When signed 10 years ago, the Plan targeted expenditures of $1.5 billion over 15 years to the conservation, enhancement, restoration and management of key wetland ecosystem across North America. The goal was to restore continental waterfowl populations from a low of 55 million birds in 1985, to 100 million birds. To date, partners have conserved more than a half million hectares (2.2 million acres) of wetland and other habitat, and indirectly influenced improvements to another two million hectares (5 million acres). In terms of waterfowl restoration and habitat enhancement, the Plan has achieved 26 percent of its goal, with only 15 percent of the anticipated funding. Scientists are predicting a fall migration of 85 million birds, an increase of 25 million in just two years. This impact was largely due to the availability of habitat conserved and enhanced during the first 10 years of the Plan.
Within the Plan, joint ventures are established to address habitat conservation on a geographic or species-based approach. In Canada there are five of these joint ventures which include: the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture covering the Atlantic provinces, as well as Quebec and Ontario; the Prairie Habitat Joint Venture which covers Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta; the Pacific Coast Joint Venture which covers habitat in B.C. and extends into the Northwestern United States; the Black Duck Joint Venture which addresses the species- specific concerns of the black duck population in Canada and parts of the US; and the Arctic Goose Joint Venture which focusses on 16 populations of snow geese and Canada Geese.
While waterfowl are the focus of the Plan as indicators, the vision of the Plan is to recover waterfowl populations by restoring wetland ecosystems; conserve biological diversity; integrate wildlife conservation with sustainable economic development; and promote partnerships of public and private agencies, organizations and individuals. Waterfowl serve as international indicators of successful habitat restoration, but there are about 600 species of plants, fish, mammals, insects and other types of birds directly benefited from by this activity.
In Canada, in addition to all provincial governments and the federal government through Environment Canada, signatories to the Plan include Ducks Unlimited Canada, Wildlife Habitat Canada and in Ontario, the Nature Conservancy of Canada. There are many other partners in the Plan ranging from individual landowners to large corporations.
Eastern Habitat Joint Venture
Under the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture (EHJV), which includes all of the Atlantic provinces as well as Quebec and Ontario, the partnership has been extremely successful in conserving about 175,000 hectares (432,425 acres) of critical wetlands, with an ultimate goal of 580,000 (1.43 million acres).
While the acquisition of key wetlands has been important for all the provinces in the partnership, great advances have been made in involving private landowners, both corporate and individual, in stewardship agreements. Through these agreements, landowners develop conservation and enhancement strategies which result in long-term preservation of important habitat. In some instances, agricultural interests have applied these practices to their economic benefit by reducing soil erosion and using constructed wetlands for the treatment of waste water. In other cases, municipalities who have signed stewardship agreements have used these strategies as a basis for development plans. Other municipalities have also used funds and expertise available under the program to develop innovative approaches to treating residential sewage with constructed wetlands, which also provide new wildlife habitat.
EHJV in Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island has achieved great success through projects developed under the Plan. Almost all of the available habitat land in PEI is under private ownership which has required a focus on private stewardship of key habitats. About 400 landowners have worked with PEI Department of Environmental Resources staff to develop soil erosion conservation plans, and constructed wetlands for farm waste water treatment. One of the most successful programs has been aimed at keeping farm animals from trampling streams and wetlands through access control and alternative watering options. The approach was developed on PEI and has since been adopted in many other areas throughout Canada and the United states.
The formation of partnerships with farm organizations such as the P.E.I. Soil and Crop Improvement Association, has greatly facilitated the delivery of EHJV programs on the Island. Personnel from the EHJV have participated in the Environmental Farm Plan Initiative and EHJV funds are available for remedial actions to address wetland habitat restoration on the farm.
In addition, working with individual landowners, EHJV staff have encouraged the use of fencing as a protection method for wetlands.
Approximately 4,080 hectares (10,100 acres) of land has been secured through acquisition or agreement with landowners. Of this area, about 1,985 hectares (4,963 acres) has been enhanced as wetland habitat.
Landowners on the Island have found that conservation of important wetland wildlife habitat also makes good economic sense, and that by maintaining a healthy environment, they ensure the health of those who live in the province.
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