Nova Scotia and Ottawa have announced a joint effort to protect nature with a federal investment of $28.5 million dollars over three years.

It’s a collaborative effort to help the province increase the amount of protected and conserved land by 82,500 hectares by March 2026, and to protect habitat and species at risk.

In a release the federal government said the agreement “will support the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia’s leadership in conservation, increase protection of sensitive habitats and recovery actions for species at risk and migratory birds, and protect and conserve new Crown and private land in Nova Scotia.”

Together, Nova Scotia and Canada will work together to conserve at least 20 percent of land and water mass in the province by 2030, to help accelerate Canada’s goal of conserving 30 percent by 2030.

“On behalf of the people of Nova Scotia, I want to thank Environment and Climate Change Canada for this funding and their ongoing partnership—together we are protecting more of our land and water which will benefit Nova Scotians today, and for generations to come. This Nature Agreement will help continue Nova Scotia’s national leadership in conservation by protecting nature and strengthening biodiversity and carbon capture and storage. We look forward to an ongoing partnership with the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia, land trusts, communities, and the federal government to achieve our shared vision and goals,” The Honourable Timothy Halman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change for Nova Scotia.