Habitat Secured for Waterfowl

As of 2011, approximately 8 million hectares of habitat for waterfowl had been secured in Canada through the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP). The area secured has been increasing since 1990, with 70% of the increase occurring within the last five years.^[1] The large increase in 2008 is the result of the securement of habitat in the Western Boreal Forest (WBF) region through Crown designation.^[2]

Cumulative waterfowl habitat secured in Canada by NAWMP partners, 1990 to 2011

Note: The green line tracks the cumulative habitat secured under the NAWMP in Canada. For each year, the cumulative habitat secured is calculated by adding newly secured hectares to the existing securement base and subtracting hectares of expired agreements.
Source: Environment Canada (2012) Canadian Wildlife Service, Wetlands Office.

In Canada, 45 species of waterfowl rely on healthy wetlands for living and for raising their young.^[3] In the mid-1980s, North American waterfowl populations had plummeted to record lows, largely because of human activities that have resulted in the loss and/or degradation of wetlands. Recognizing this problem, and the fact that migratory waterfowl habitat needs are international in scope, the NAWMP was launched. Actions under the NAWMP are conducted by government and non-governmental  partners in Canada, the United States of America and Mexico.

The NAWMP aims to conserve important wetlands and related habitat for the benefit of waterfowl and other wetland-dependent wildlife. The current overall goal of the NAWMP is to return waterfowl populations to their 1970s levels by securing, protecting and improving habitat. The NAWMP considers habitat as “secured” when it has been protected, either through purchase or with legally binding agreements of at least 10 year duration. While the accomplishments of the NAWMP are significant, waterfowl habitat is under increasing pressure from urban sprawl, agriculture, invasive species and climate change. Therefore, continued and expanded conservation efforts remain critical.

Regional habitat secured for waterfowl

The NAWMP operates through a series of habitat joint ventures, some of which plan and implement regional habitat conservation programs and projects. A joint venture is a multi–stakeholder partnership, including governments at all levels, industry, Aboriginal groups, non-government organizations, universities and landowners. The NAWMP habitat joint venture activities in Canada are coordinated by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Canada). Four habitat joint ventures actively secure habitat for waterfowl in Canada according to regional implementation plans.

Scope of habitat joint ventures in Canada, 2011

Note: The regions outlined on the map represent the areas associated with each Canadian habitat joint venture. For the Pacific Coast Joint Venture, only the Canadian portion of this international joint venture is shown. The area of habitat secured within each habitat joint venture is detailed below.
Source: North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Canada) (2010) Strategic Plan 2010–2020.

Cumulative habitat secured by habitat joint venture in Canada, 2011

Habitat joint venture	Area of habitat secured (hectares)
Pacific Coast (Canada portion)	41 745
Canadian Intermountain	125 706
Prairie Habitat (including Western Boreal Forest region)	7 279 800
Western Boreal Forest region (included in the total above)	4 548 251
Eastern Habitat	547 243

Note: See habitat joint ventures websites and implementations plans, along with  the annual Habitat Matters publication for further details on each region. A review of the NAWMP tracking system has led to adjustments of annual securement totals for each joint venture. As a result, annual cumulative habitat secured for each region may differ from other published reports. In past years the indicator has not included the Western Boreal Forest region due to a review of the WBF program. While the review is still ongoing the WBF has been included in this year’s indicator to provide a more complete overview of securement under the NAWMP in Canada.
Source: Environment Canada (2012) Canadian Wildlife Service, Wetlands Office.

Related information

• Environment Canada – Habitat Joint Ventures
• Environment Canada – North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI)
• Environment Canada – Wetlands
• North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) in Canada
• North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Canada) (NAWCC)
• State of Canada’s Birds – 2012

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