U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service joins NCC in protecting P.E.I. land

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was a partner in a recent land acquisition by the Nature Conservancy of Canada in western P.E.I.

NCC purchased 68 hectares of salt marsh, freshwater wetland, and forest along the Percival River.

"It is a really magical place to be," said Lanna Campbell, the program director on P.E.I. for the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

"It is this big, beautiful, majestic salt marsh."

The purchase adds to a collection of 11 NCC properties along the river comprising 368 hectares. The new land is home to pileated woodpeckers, great blue herons, willets and osprey. The forest has a mix of black spruce, red maple and balsam fir trees.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service participated in the acquisition through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.

"They're interested in wetland conservation in Canada because birds migrate, so they may spend parts of their life, parts of their season in Canada," said Campbell.

"They have an interest in making sure that all the wetlands they use are protected."

Funding also came from the Government of Canada's Natural Heritage Conservation Program.