{"id":1766,"date":"2016-04-13T18:10:44","date_gmt":"2016-04-13T21:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trepa.org\/?p=1766"},"modified":"2016-04-13T18:10:44","modified_gmt":"2016-04-13T21:10:44","slug":"roberts-island-site-protected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.trepa.org\/?p=1766","title":{"rendered":"Robert’s Island site protected"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nature Conservancy of Canada Protects Important Nova Scotia Coastal Habitat for Waterfowl and Rare Plants<\/b><\/p>\n

\"salt<\/a>Roberts Island, Nova Scotia (April 15, 2016)<\/b> \u2013 As part of National Wildlife Week, the Nature Conservancy of Canada is pleased to announce it has finalized the acquisition of a 20 hectare (50-acre) site on Roberts Island, located on the west side of Lobster Bay in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia.<\/p>\n

The property contains critical salt marsh used year-round by black ducks and seasonally by long-tailed duck and green-winged teal.<\/p>\n

The salt marsh is also home to the Eastern baccharis (Groundseltree), a rare plant in the group of Atlantic Coastal Plain Flora.\u00a0 Lobster Bay is the only place in Canada where Eastern baccharis is found.\u00a0 There are 20-30 of these plants on the property, out of a total Canadian population of approximately 3000 plants.<\/p>\n

In addition to these ecologically-productive salt marshes, the site also includes coastal forest with black and white spruce and balsam fir trees.<\/p>\n

This conservation project was supported by funding from the Government of Canada through the Natural Areas Conservation Program, the Nova Scotia Crown Share Land Legacy Trust, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, and the Nova Scotia Fisherman company, along other local donors and supporters.<\/p>\n

A portion of this project was donated to the Nature Conservancy of Canada under the Government of Canada\u2019s Ecological Gifts Program.\u00a0 This program provides enhanced tax incentives for individuals or corporations who donate ecologically significant land.<\/p>\n

Quotes:<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Nature Conservancy of Canada is pleased to be able to protect this valuable coastal habitat on the southern tip of Nova Scotia. We would like to thank our private and government donors for their support. There are many more ecologicallly significant sites in Nova Scotia that NCC would like to preserve, and we invite interested landowners to contact us to learn more about conservation options for their land.\u201d<\/p>\n

Craig Smith, NCC Program Director in Nova Scotia.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cAs we celebrate National Wildlife Week, the Government of Canada is pleased to work with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect this important marshland habitat in Nova Scotia. Protecting coastal lands like these also benefits local communities by helping to mitigate the impacts of storms and rising sea levels associated with climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThrough the Natural Areas Conservation Program and the Ecological Gifts Program, the Government of Canada is working to protect this important animal habitat and conserve the natural beauty of the West Nova region for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colin Fraser, MP West Nova<\/i><\/p>\n

Facts:<\/b><\/p>\n