Working Around Wetlands?
What you should know
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Great Lakes Wetlands Conservation Action Plan (GLWCAP) is a partnership commitment between federal and provincial governments, and non-government organizations to establish a coordinated and comprehensive wetlands conservation program for Great Lakes wetlands.
Join the growing number of landowners who include conservation efforts when working in and around wetlands.
Wetlands are essential to the health of our lakes, rivers and streams. The survival of hundreds of plant and animal species depends on the unique and specialized habitats found only in wetlands. Wetlands also play a critical role in the maintenance of our water supply, in cleaning up polluted waters and in flood damage reduction. Exceptionally beautiful, remarkably productive and valuable, wetlands are a precious resource.
Unfortunately, some human activities destroy wetlands and also cause harm to fish and wildlife habitat and our water supply. In Ontario, south of the Canadian Shield, less than 30 per cent of the wetlands that existed before European settlement remain. Of these remaining wetlands, many are not as healthy as they could be.
Therefore, it is vitally important to consider the effect your activities as a landowner may have on wetland areas. It is possible to reduce or eliminate potential negative impacts through careful planning and by using environmentally sound practices. If you have a wetland on your property, there are also actions that you can take to protect or improve it. This brochure provides some of the basic information you will need when working around wetlands, as well as some important considerations to address in order to ensure their conservation and protection.
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