NOVA SCOTIA EASTERN HABITAT JOINT VENTURE WETLAND STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM
 
 

Goals and Objectives

The goal of the Nova Scotia Eastern Habitat Joint Venture (NS-EHJV) Wetlands Stewardship Program is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife habitats in partnership with municipal governments, community groups, local conservation organizations and private landowners. This goal is implemented through the following objectives:

  • Ensure that existing benefits to breeding, migratory and wintering waterfowl and other migratory birds, as well as benefits to other wildlife and people will be maintained on privately owned lands;
  • Improve public understanding of wetland habitat values, processes and functions;
  • Educate both the landowner and user in responsible land/water use practices; and
  • Undertake physical improvements on privately owned wetlands to benefit wetland associated wildlife species.

Activities
The 2007/08 NS-EHJV Wetland Stewardship Program will focus on delivering two multi-year projects that received approval for funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the Greencover Canada Program:

1. Kings Agricultural Wetlands and Biodiversity Conservation Initiative (KAWBCI)
The KAWBCI is a long-term conservation initiative developed by the NS-EHJV to support the wise use of wetlands in agricultural landscapes within the context of sustainable development using an ecosystem approach. This initiative has a strong focus on securing the ecosystem benefits from natural and restored riparian edges and wetlands, employing watershed management and Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) and principles. The KAWBCI includes both proven and new habitat conservation techniques, and integrates with existing conservation programs. The NS-EHJV’s vision under the KAWBCI is an agricultural landscape with its wetlands and riparian habitats conserved or restored in order to provide multiple societal and environmental benefits including biodiversity and improved freshwater quality and quantity. The primary objectives of the KAWBCI under the Greencover Canada Program are:

  • To encourage the uptake of BMPs for riparian area management, and promote sustainable agro-ecosystem management at the watershed level;
  • In co-operation with local producers, demonstrate on-farm costs and benefits of BMPs to their operations and environment and;
  • To use multi-media and site visits to encourage the uptake of BMPs by members of the agricultural community.

2. Riparian Health Assessment for Nova Scotia
The goal of the Nova Scotia Riparian Health Assessment Project is to provide a process that can be used by community groups, government, and consultants to quickly and consistently identify, assess, and geo-reference the relative levels of riparian health along the waterways of Atlantic Maritime Ecozone for conservation planning purposes. This will be achieved by addressing the following project objectives:

  • To adapt, customize and field test a riparian health assessment system to the Atlantic Maritime Ecozone;
  • To develop a personal digital assistant (PDA)/geographical information system (GIS) interface program for riparian health assessment data collection and;
  • To promote the riparian health assessment system though a workshop focused approach for government, community groups and consultants.

These activities will directly and indirectly complement the habitat conservation activities outlined in the EHJV 2006.3 and 2007.1 North American Wetlands Conservation Act Proposals for Nova Scotia.

Specific Habitat Products/Results to be Supported by WHC’s Contributions
WHC’s contributions to the 2007/08 NS-EHJV Wetland Stewardship Program will provide partial salary support for the NS-EHJV Stewardship Coordinator. Without a NS-EHJV Stewardship Coordinator there would not be a NS-EHJV Stewardship Program. The NS-EHJV Stewardship Coordinator will work closely with all partners involved to coordinate the efficient delivery of all activities associated with the KAWBCI and NS Riparian Health Assessment projects.

The following specific results are expected from the KAWBCI project:

  • 2-5 demonstration sites promoting BMP’s in riparian areas and around water
  • 2-5 site plans identifying opportunities to increase biodiversity and wildlife/waterfowl habitat
  • 1 remote watering systems that incorporate biodiversity and waterfowl
  • 4-6 km of fenced riparian areas (increased biodiversity and waterfowl nesting sites)
  • 1 portable and 1 permanent waterway crossings (localizes crossings and minimizes disturbance to nesting waterfowl in riparian areas)
  • 2-4 acres of treed shelterbelts (increases waterfowl nesting potential in on-farm ponds and along riparian edges)
  • 2-3 acres of buffer establishment in croplands (increase in biodiversity and potential waterfowl nesting habitat)
  • 1 constructed wetland for milkhouse runoff (potential waterfowl habitat)
  • Potential constructed wetland to reduce manure storage runoff (potential waterfowl habitat)
  • Demonstrations for 20-50 farm producers from Kings County (opportunity to influence the development of waterfowl habitat and increased biodiversity on farms in the surrounding area)
  • Monitoring/evaluations to determine the effectiveness of various on site activities in increasing water quality, biodiversity, and riparian health
  • 2-3 site plans (identifying farm activities that support wildlife habitat/biodiversity and reduced impacts on water quality).

The following specific results are expected from the NS Riparian Health Assessment project:

  • Adaptation of a score sheet and user manual that can be used to indicate the health of riparian areas in Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Maritime Ecozone (this will assist in the identification of riparian areas that require attention to restore functions including biodiversity and wildlife/waterfowl potential)
  • Development of a PDA/geomatic tool that will facilitate the collection and assessment of riparian health evaluations
  • Development of a PDA/geomatic system that will be available to a variety of other organizations with an interest in restoring riparian health and function
  • Development of a trained group of individuals that can conduct riparian health assessments in the Atlantic Maritime Ecozone
  • Completed evaluation of riparian health in several agricultural areas throughout Nova Scotia
  • An evaluation tool that can be used in a watershed to direct the focus to those areas requiring restoration or enhancement prior to developing on the ground activities.

Benefits to Wildlife
Historical land use practices in the agricultural landscape have resulted in the loss of wetlands and riparian edges that have had negative impacts for many wildlife species - including several waterfowl species. The stewardship actions identified in this proposal will influence the uptake of positive land-use practices in the agricultural landscape that will support and maintain healthy wildlife habitats and society as a whole. These actions will contribute to achieving the waterfowl population goals for the NS-EHJV by directly and indirectly improving breeding and brood rearing habitat in the agricultural landscape for American black duck, mallard, green-winged teal, ring-necked duck, and Canada goose.

Relevance to Habitat Planning, Decision Making and/or Management
Funding to undertake biodiversity related BMP’s in the agricultural landscape became accessible to Nova Scotia farmers with the signing of the Agricultural Policy Framework agreement between Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada and NS Department of Agriculture in 2003. However, the general uptake of the biodiversity BMP’s have been slow throughout Nova Scotia and the rest of Atlantic Canada, due in large part to the general lack of “biodiversity support” and general wildlife habitat information available to farm planning practitioners, agricultural extension workers, and farm producers (2006 Agriculture Biodiversity Workshop – Moncton).

The NS-EHJV Wetland Stewardship Program will provide direct biodiversity related support and wildlife habitat information to Nova Scotia’s farm planning practitioners, agricultural extension workers, and farm producers by directly engaging them in the planning and delivery of the KAWCI and NS Riparian Health Assessment projects. The NS-EHJV Wetland Stewardship Program will continue to seek new partnerships and networking opportunities with the greater agricultural community to promote wetland conservation and increase awareness of biodiversity within the agricultural landscape.

Project Location
The 2007/08 NS-EHJV Wetland Stewardship Program will focus on the agricultural landscape in the Valley and Central Lowlands Ecoregion (Atlantic Maritime Ecozone). Agricultural lands comprise one-fifth of this Ecoregion and represent approximately 36% of all agricultural lands in Nova Scotia – making it the largest agricultural region in the province. Nearly all of this agricultural land is privately owned and farmed by an estimated 644 farmers (Statistics Canada 2001). These agricultural lands principally occur in the Annapolis Valley and the lowland areas along the major rivers in the upper Bay of Fundy. The fertile soil and warm summers has resulted in intensive agricultural production of vegetables, fruit and forage to support livestock operations.

Please click here to view the project location/map (pdf file).

Project Contact
For more information on this project, please contact Glen Parsons, Nova Scotia Eastern Habitat Joint Venture Program Manager, Wetlands and Coastal Habitats Program, Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Division, Kentville, Nova Scotia.