Cambridge land trust, rare, calls on Trudeau to extend conservation fund

NEWS RELEASE
RARE CHARITABLE RESEARCH RESERVE
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The rare Charitable Research Reserve has joined 87 regional and local land trusts in calling on the Prime Minister and parliament to extend funding for the Land Trusts Conservation Fund.

They are calling on Canadians everywhere to sign a parliamentary petition asking politicians to make protecting environmentally sensitive lands a priority.

“There is tremendous support for protecting environmentally sensitive lands, especially in rapidly developing urban areas,” says James Bow, Communications Officer at rare.

“These protected areas become oases for endangered species, protected corridors for wildlife and a critical support for the physical and mental health and wellbeing of people in the surrounding communities. Canada has set a goal of protecting 30 per cent of its land and water by 2030, and the work of community-driven land trusts like rare and organizations like the Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) is critical in ensuring we meet that goal.”

OLTA, in collaboration with the Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts (ACLT) and other provincial alliances is calling for the federal government to expand its current Land Trusts Conservation Fund, securing it with a $150 million endowment to strengthen the capacity for local and regional land trusts to care for natural spaces in perpetuity.

“At rare, we’re proud to steward over 1,200 acres of environmentally sensitive lands across Waterloo Region and Wellington County,” says Stephanie Sobek-Swant, Executive Director at rare. “And we aren’t stopping there. We are bringing more conservation land under our umbrella, including over 200 acres from Schneider’s Woods, to ensure that these lands remain refuges for nature as Waterloo Region and Wellington County grow.”

“There are already nearly 700,000 people living in Waterloo Region and Wellington County today,” says Bow. “With an additional 330,000 residents expected to arrive between now and 2051, it’s more important than ever before to ensure that all residents are housed sustainably in communities that are healthy and resilient to climate pressures. It is vital that as much natural land as possible is protected, ensuring biodiversity, clean air and water and flood protection.”

As part of this campaign, on September 17, OLTA sent a letter to Prime Minister Trudeau, key cabinet ministers and the leaders of the opposition parties. This letter was signed by 87 local and regional land trusts from across the country, including rare and 23 others from Ontario. Organizers have also set up a petition at the House of Commons website, where community members can sign and ask that politicians extend stable funding for the protection of Canada’s remaining natural landscapes. Petition e-5145 can be found here

ACLT is asking interested Canadians to share this information with their friends, family, neighbours and colleagues. “Globally, the loss of nature has been recognized as one of the most pressing challenges of our time,” said one ACLT official. “In Canada, nature loss is most acute in southern regions, where development pressures have rendered ecologically-intact land increasingly scarce and costly.”

The rare Charitable Research Reserve is a community-driven urban land trust and environmental institute protecting over 1,200 acres of environmentally sensitive lands across Waterloo Region and Wellington County while engaging the community to take local action toward mitigating the global climate crisis. The organization runs research and education programs and maintains over 12 km of trails to foster an appreciation of these lands and their importance to the health and well-being of the surrounding community and the generations to follow.

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