WINNIPEG, MANITOBA -- (Marketwire) -- 08/16/10 -- The Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, and Member of Parliament for Provencher, on behalf of Canada's Environment Minister, the Honourable Jim Prentice, today announced funding from the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. In total, $780,800 in federal funding will support environmental action focusing on conservation and protection of species at risk and their habitats, helping to preserve Canada's biodiversity.

"As part of the International Year of Biodiversity, we are proud to celebrate the good work done to preserve the variety and abundance of plants and animals that make their home here in Manitoba," said Minister Toews. "The funding that we've announced today proves that our government is committed to preserving species at risk and their habitats."

"These projects will help to protect Canada's rich biodiversity for generations to come, said Minister Prentice. "The Government of Canada is proud to support these organizations and their work in Manitoba through the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk. Your actions, large or small, will help to protect the abundance and variety of life that is part of our natural heritage."

The ten projects being supported by the Habitat Stewardship Program this year are located across the province to conserve habitat for species at risk such as the prairie skink, the boreal woodland caribou, the piping plover and many tall grass prairie plants and animals.

The Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation (MHHC) was established in 1986 to conserve, restore and enhance fish and wildlife habitat. "We conserve habitat by working in partnership with private landowners, farm organizations, corporations, conservation groups and government agencies," said Tim Sopuck, Manager of Operations for MHHC, "Our vision is to ensure a cleaner, greener landscape that benefits all Manitobans."

The goal of the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk is to contribute to the recovery and protection of species listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern under the Species at Risk Act.

Projects that will receive funding this year include stewardship actions to conserve habitat for plant species at risk, negotiations with landowners to develop voluntary Land Care Agreements, targeted educational outreach to reduce the entanglement of species at risk in fishing gear, and enhancement of water quality and aquatic habitat on private lands to benefit aquatic species at risk. They will be undertaken with many partners such as agricultural producers, private landowners, and commercial fishers. These projects will benefit many species at risk, including the North Atlantic Right Whale, the Steller Sea Lion, the Swift Fox, and the Small White Leek.

The Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk is administered by Environment Canada and managed cooperatively with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Parks Canada Agency.

More information on the Species at Risk Act and the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk can be found on the Internet at: http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca or http://www.ec.gc.ca/hsp-pih/default.asp?lang=En&n=59BF488F-1

For more information and to view a backgrounder on this announcement, please visit the Web site of Environment Canada, at http://www.ec.gc.ca/.

(Egalement offert en francais)