Ottawa has announced more than $8.7 million over three years to help protect at-risk species and their habitats.

Fredericton MP Jenica Atwin made the announcement Monday in New Brunswick’s capital.

Up to $730,000 of that funding will be used to support five projects in our province.

Nature NB will receive $198,000 for a project to support monarch conservation in southern New Brunswick.

They will conduct outreach and engagement activities about the monarch, monitor existing monarch habitat, coordinate milkweed and monarch surveys, and work with municipalities to implement best management practices for monarch conservation.

Nature Trust of New Brunswick is getting $220,000 to address conserving habitat for two lichens in the St. Croix River watershed.

They will survey and secure parcels of forest that contain lichen habitat, enable private landowners to steward land to maintain the habitat and the species and provide lichen identification training opportunities for landowners and Indigenous partners.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada will engage private landowners in three Atlantic provinces, including New Brunswick, to protect the Canada warbler, lichens, and Van Brunt’s Jacob’s-ladder.

They will use the nearly $220,000 in funding to promote voluntary habitat protection measures on their land to address threats from development and forestry activities on privately-owned land.

Société d’aménagement de la rivière Madawaska will receive $43,000 to conduct surveys of the little brown bat and bank swallows.

They will also inform the public and farmers of their key habitat while engaging with landowners to steward their land for species at risk.

Groupe du bassin versant de la région de Cap-Pelé (Vision H20) will receive $50,000 to conserve habitat for bank swallows living in coastal areas in southeastern New Brunswick.

You can view the full list of funded projects by clicking here.