An eastern Ontario farmer has high hopes that a conservation area she established on her property will assist Canada in achieving its nature protection goals. Located on her modest beef farm near Winchester, Jackie Kelly-Pemberton has developed a wetland to manage manure runoff from the cattle that roam outdoors year-round. This constructed wetland mimics natural wetlands, featuring sedges, bulrushes, cattails, and ponds that filter barnyard runoff before it reaches the South Nation River and eventually flows into the Ottawa River.
Water quality has always been a priority for Kelly-Pemberton, who emphasized the importance of managing water runoff. The project received support and funding from ALUS, a Canadian organization that aids farmers in designing and implementing conservation initiatives on their lands.
ALUS President Jordan Sinclair believes that nature-based projects on farmland, like Kelly-Pemberton’s wetland, could contribute 65,000 hectares towards the national nature protection targets set by the federal government. This effort aligns with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent announcement of a new nature strategy aiming to protect 30% of lands and oceans by 2030, doubling the current protected areas.
Carney’s strategy, unveiled on March 31, involves leveraging private investments in conservation and recognizing “other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECMs) established by local communities and private organizations. Carney stressed the need for substantial funding beyond public resources to achieve these conservation goals.
For areas to qualify as OECMs, they must have defined boundaries, allow authorities to regulate activities within those boundaries, and prohibit actions inconsistent with conservation objectives, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada. The hope is that initiatives like Kelly-Pemberton’s wetland can serve as models for others and contribute significantly to Canada’s conservation efforts.
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