Funding for ecological corridor initiatives

The National Program for Ecological Corridors supports on-the-ground work for corridors that maintain or restore ecological connectivity between protected and conserved areas and natural habitat.

This funding program aims to advance conservation objectives by supporting locally-driven corridor initiatives, which are typically led by environmental organizations and involving local landowners and stakeholders. Should they want their lands to be included in the corridor, landowners can voluntarily participate by practicing or working towards sustainable land and resource use on their properties. This may be done through a variety of compatible activities such as farming, forestry, grazing, hunting, fishing and ecotourism, which may already be occurring on the lands.

As the program was being developed, Parks Canada supported several ecological corridor initiatives as pilot projects.

Funds have also been made available beginning in 2023 through direct funding to:

• Indigenous-led projects, using a distinction-based approach, and
• Jurisdictions with corridor projects identified in Nature Agreements.

Through a one-time only call for proposals that ended June 28 2024, additional funding will be made available to support corridor projects led by environmental non-profit organizations for work on the planning, creation, stewardship and management, and monitoring for ecological corridors within National Priority Areas for Ecological Corridors.

More information on funded projects is available in the following news releases:

• Parks Canada contributes nearly 6 million to support ecological corridors in Canada
• Parks Canada contributes another 1 million to support ecological corridors in Canada