Local / Private Conservation
Private/Local Conservation
While small, locally conserved areas can be mighty!
Private and municipal lands make up about 11% of Canada. However, these lands are often located in places that are of very high value for the persistence of biodiversity.
Healthy ecosystems can provide vital services to Canadians at all scales ranging from local to national. Private and municipally owned or managed lands can play an important for nature conservation and can provide social, health, and economic benefits to the landowner and the public.
The topics of how your locally conserved area fits into the broader Canadian conservation network and how local governments and private landowners across Canada can be better engaged in conservation discussions are active conversations within the Pathway to Canada Target 1 initiative.
Resources to assist local governments and land managers are in development and will be added below as they become available:
Conservation Close to Home – Examples of local government sites across Canada that can contribute to Canada’s conservation targets, highlighting what makes these sites count, and why they are important examples for other local governments.
Land Manager FAQ – Frequently asked questions to support land managers evaluate and potentially report privately or locally conserved lands towards Canada Target 1.
Municipal Involvement in Canada’s Biodiversity Target on Protected and Conserved Areas – ICLEI Canada explored the potential of municipal involvement in Canada’s Target 1 through an online survey.
For more information on what types of areas can count towards Canada Target 1 see the Conservation2020 Accounting Page.
Related resources
Local Government Advisory Group recommendations – Recommendations and considerations for how local protected areas can contribute to Pathway to Canada Target 1.
Canadian Parks Council – leading efforts on Connecting Canadians to Nature and the Nature Playbook
Canadian Parks and Recreation Association - a national organization dedicated to realizing the full potential of parks and recreation as a major contributor to community health and vibrancy.