Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) welcomes yesterday’s announcement that the Government of Ontario will make a significant investment to “preserve more areas of significant ecological importance, protect natural areas and promote the importance of healthy, natural spaces.”
The investment $20M over 4 years to support land conservation and stewardship, will be matched by OLTA and our partner organisations, Nature Conservancy of Canada and community land trusts at a ratio of at least 1:1.5. OLTA is pleased to see the importance of community land conservation supported in the budget. This initiative will establish areas of newly protected land and freshwater, especially in southern Canada where nature and wildlife faces the greatest pressures and where the majority of land is privately owned.
“The Ontario Land Trust Alliance is very grateful for the leadership shown by the Government of Ontario in supporting community land conservation. This support will provide real measurable benefits to ecosystem protection. Support for community land conservation provides significant positive impacts to highly sensitive, highly biodiverse, threatened habitats and ecosystems such as those found in Southern Ontario. The support shown by the Ontario government will help to provide big wins for nature and community connection to nature across Ontario.” – Alison Howson, Executive Director, Ontario Land Trust Alliance.
Ontario Land Trust Alliance (OLTA) empowers and supports highly effective, well-governed land trusts that engage their communities. OLTA builds capacity through training and educational programs; connecting land trusts to each other, resources and their communities; leading and supporting on-the-ground conservation work; sharing knowledge and best practices, reducing financial barriers to land conservation and promoting organizational excellence. Our impact is Ontario-wide through 50 connected charities and communities.
OLTA’s local land trust members currently collectively own and steward over 108, 000 acres across Ontario, with the support of thousands of volunteers annually.
More information will be coming in early 2021 as this new partnership develops.
