Nature Conservancy of Canada expands on P.E.I. with land purchase

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is increasing the amount of land under itsprotection on the Island with the purchase of 57 hectares in Abrams Village, P.E.I.

The land consists of two properties at the mouth of the Haldimand River, encompassing intact salt marshes and coastal forests.

The total cost of the purchase, including legal fees, staff time and setting up an endowment to cover maintenance expenses, came to approximately $225,000.

Of the 57 hectares,20 are intact salt marshes which, according to the NCC, are rare on P.E.I., coveringonly one per cent of Island land.

According to the group, intact salt marshes are some of the most valuable and productive ecosystems in the world.

"The Abram's Village salt marsh is a rare undisturbed habitat, and we are thrilled to be able to protect it," saidJulieVasseur, P.E.I. program director for theNature Conservancy of Canada.

"NCC is not only conserving this critical ecosystem, we are protecting an important part of P.E.I.'s history."

The project is part of theGovernment of Canada's Natural Areas Conservation Program and got support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. The NCChas conserved more than 73,000 acres in the Atlantic provinces.

"These lands have esthetic and they have spiritual meaning to a lot ofdifferentpeople and beyond that they provide ecological services that humans depend on and so it is really important that we have these lands for our future generations,"Vasseursaid."We don't want to be the generation of people who left our kids andgrandkidswith nothing."

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