Carney launches $3.8B nature strategy to expand conservation across Canada

Prime Minister Mark Carney on March 31 announced a new national strategy aimed at protecting and restoring Canada’s natural environment, backed by $3.8 billion in federal funding.

The plan, titled A Force of Nature: Canada’s Strategy to Protect Nature, outlines measures to expand protected areas, support conservation efforts, and integrate environmental considerations into development decisions.

The federal government said the strategy responds to increasing environmental pressures, including climate change, pollution, habitat loss, invasive species, and more frequent extreme weather events such as wildfires and floods.

A central goal of the plan is to help Canada meet its international commitment, made at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, to conserve 30 percent of land and water by 2030.

Under the strategy, Ottawa plans to fund up to 14 new marine protected areas, at least 10 new national parks and freshwater conservation areas, and additional national marine conservation areas and urban parks. The government said this would protect at least 1.6 million square kilometres of land and up to 700,000 square kilometres of ocean over the next four years.

The plan also includes support for several major conservation projects, including the proposed Wiinipaakw Indigenous Protected Area in eastern James Bay and the Seal River Watershed National Park Reserve in Manitoba. Funding will also go toward expanding Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, including the Indigenous Guardians Program, with more than $230 million allocated to support monitoring and stewardship efforts.

Additional investments include $90 million to support wood bison recovery efforts near Wood Buffalo National Park and continued funding to remove abandoned fishing gear from Canadian waters.

The strategy also aims to balance conservation with economic development by improving environmental data collection and using tools such as artificial intelligence to guide project planning and permitting. Regional assessments under the Impact Assessment Act are expected to play a role in evaluating cumulative environmental impacts.

Ottawa also announced plans to develop Canada’s first national water security strategy through the Canada Water Agency, in collaboration with Indigenous and provincial partners.

Funding commitments include more than $410 million for Pacific salmon restoration and over $80 million to support wild Atlantic salmon populations.

Officials said the strategy will be implemented in partnership with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous communities, industry, and conservation groups.