BURNABY, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Mark Warawa, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment and Member of Parliament for Langley, 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, $171,919 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, the Government's investment in these two projects helps important aquatic species, including the western painted turtle, not only survive, but one day thrive," said MP Warawa.

"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 the projects in the Metro Vancouver/Fraser Valley area 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 Langley Environmental Partners Society receives $99,680 to restore and enhance various local aquatic habitats for both the Salish sucker and Nooksack dace.
"Our organization is committed to protecting and restoring the natural environment through education, cooperation and action," said Nichole Marples, executive director of the Langley Environmental Partners Society. "These funds allow us to take action and ensure local Salish sucker and Nooksack dace species exist in a safe, enhanced habitat."

The British Columbia Conservation Foundation also receives $72,239 to create a comprehensive stewardship program to protect the endangered western painted turtle and its associated habitats and species in the Metro Vancouver/Fraser River Valley area.

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 species at risk entanglement 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: 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/.