Along with the Muscatatuck Bottoms plan, the state announced the Wabash project, the largest conservation initiative ever undertaken by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.  The Nature Conservancy explains that the state will acquire 43,000 acres in the floodplain of the Wabash River and Sugar Creek from willing sellers, which will benefit wildlife, public recreation and the environment.  The area involved spans 94 miles along the river, and according to Governor Mitch Daniels it will be one of the largest continuous wildlife and waterfowl habitats in the eastern United States.

The Tribstar reports that the state will use $21.5 million from the Lifetime License Trust Fund, a state trust fund dedicated to conservation purposes, and $10 million from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, to begin the necessary land acquisitions.  Additional funding will come from Ducks Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy, and the U.S. Dept of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The Wabash is biologically diverse and increased protection means that migratory birds such as ducks and geese will be able to find vital resting areas in Indiana while on their way to Mexico for the winter.  Although the ultimate goal of the initiative is to protect habitats and threatened species, the project will also bring significant flood control advantages to the area, according to Governor Daniels in the Tribstar.  Sounds like a win/win situation for all species!

 As the provincial government works to protect this species, it must discover ways to limit access to grizzly bear habitats by industry workers, hunters and ATV riders, reports the CTV News.  Fortunately, there has been strong co-operation seen in related industries.

Currently, there are believed to be approximately 760 grizzly bears found on both federal and provincial lands in Alberta, says the Calgary Herald. 

By  declaring grizzly bears a threatened species in Alberta, the government is required to execute a recovery plan within a year.

Progress is evident with the legally sanctioned grizzly hunt having been suspended as of 2006.  The main issue now is believed to be access roads and, more specifically, the human-grizzly bear contact.  Bears become dependent on grain that trains accidently leak into bear habitats.  This dependency must be controlled in order to reduce habitat disturbance. 

A statement made by a coalition of conservation organizations reports that limiting access to bear habitats in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho has tripled the grizzly bear count in a single generation.

Potential solutions are seen in the Idaho case.  According to The Nature Conservancy in Idaho, a 647-acre conservation easement has been created to protect grizzly bear habitat in northern Idaho.  The easement enables the state to conserve the grizzly bear habitat while sustaining the rural economy.  However, in order to protect the grizzlies, timber is not harvested when bears are present and forest buffers are maintained along streams and roads to better protect the wildlife.

The solution seen in Idaho is only one example of what can be done to help the grizzly bears in Alberta.  The creation of such an easement demonstrates how conservation organizations can work with the government, private landowners and public agencies to support conservation.  While Alberta is only just beginning its journey towards such success, placing grizzly bears on its threatened species list is a step that must be celebrated.

Organizations such as the Nature Conservancy often unite with natural resource companies because the companies’ actions have a direct impact on the environment.  As Nature Conservancy’s President expressed in The Washington Post, it is crucial to not dismiss any conservation strategy, especially one that gets businesses that directly impact the environment involved in improving their practices and supporting conservation.  These alliances allow sustainable practices to be put into play without putting the companies out of business.

Importantly, while these businesses are initially negatively impacting the environment, the alliance is formed to help improve the business operations.  Therefore, the organizations’ involvement is a positive force that leads to rapid improvement and in no way implies that they condone the detrimental impacts originally seen to the environment.

Recently, 21 of Canada’s forestry companies who are members of FPAC (Forest Products Association of Canada) and 9 environmental organizations signed the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement.  While seemingly unlikely to collaborate, both sides realized economic difficulties and public concern were impacting them both positively and negatively.  It caused them to search for a unique solution.

The Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement pertains to over 72 million hectares of Boreal Forest reaching from British Columbia to Newfoundland.  The Agreement promotes the teamwork of industries and environmental organizations in order to aid governments in defining the future of forestry and conservation in the Boreal Forests, as reported by NewMediaDrive.com.

According to The Los Angeles Times, the Agreement prevents logging of over 111,000 square miles of Boreal Forest in northern Canada, protecting almost the entire boreal caribou habitat without disrupting mill operations.  In leading the forestry industry towards green certification, the pact reduces some concerns regarding endangered wildlife and climate change issues in the area.

In committing to save the natural world we must first face the problems in order to devise efficient strategies that will result in the most positive outcomes.  Thus, conservation organizations working with business can be a key move in achieving conservation goals.

If you double click on the map, an ecoregion box springs up that shows you the ecoregion’s name and the number of mammal species it has.  In my case, I learned that the Guianan Highlands Moist Forest in north eastern South America has 237 mammal species.

Wow! 237 mammal species.  How many could an average person name or even recognize?

A moment later, I clicked on a new map type and learned that the area has 613 bird species.  Then, 123 snake and lizard species.  All working together to keep the ecosystem healthy.

I have only seen the online version.  However, you can order your own copy of the full Atlas through the Nature Conservancy’s marketplace.  It costs $44.95 (US Dollars), and has 272 pages, 229 color illustrations, 6 b/w photographs, 40 line illustrations, and 79 maps.

Canada (with 37 Ramsar sites) and the United States (with 26 Ramsar sites) are among the many countries who have signed the agreement.  Canada has more sites than the U.S. partly because Canada is home to 25% of the world’s wetlands.

Wetlands, according to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), include swamps, ponds, marshes, and peat bogs.  They function similarly to giant sponges, soaking up rain and snow melt water, and slowly releasing it during drier seasons while filtering it to help reduce pollution and soil erosion.

Wetlands are the exclusive home to plants, fish and birds that use them for breeding, nesting and feeding.  Sadly, wetlands are disappearing. In Canada, organizations such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited work together to try to preserve wetlands.

Much of this work is part of the Nature Conservancy’s partnership with the Government of Canada.  The Natural Areas Conservation Program is a $225 million grant given to the NCC by the government in 2007, which the organization is responsible for managing.  The grant assists NGOs in securing ecologically-sensitive lands, and involves the government matching funds raised by the NGOs.  As of September 2009, the program has saved over 302,880 acres, protecting habitat for over 79 species at risk.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada determines which natural areas are significant based on an area’s level of biodiversity and the threats it faces.  Much of this information is gathered through the eight Conservation Data Centres established by the organization across Canada since 1988.

Once priorities are set, the NCC works with private landowners to secure ecologically-significant land identified as conservation priorities.  NCC acquires and protects land through land purchase, donation, conservation agreement or relinquishment of mining or timber rights.

NCC’s work doesn’t end when the land is acquired.  Ongoing land management is needed to ensure the continued health of ecosystems and the plants and animals that live within them.

The program is certainly a positive one for a government that didn’t do much good in Copenhagen.  Let’s hope that by recognizing the good that they’re doing here, we can encourage the government to care for the climate – the very climate that provides the rain and snow that make wetlands possible.