The federal government is putting more than $13 million toward a $64 million project to conserve over 81,000 hectares of boreal forest and peatland south of Kapuskasing, Ontario. The Nature Conservancy of Canada is leading the effort. The area holds more than 30 million tonnes of carbon, so keeping it intact avoids future emissions and helps with flood and wildfire resilience downstream. The project also includes engagement with nearby First Nations on access and long-term stewardship. For people tracking Canadian conservation finance, this is a concrete example of federal money flowing toward the 30 by 30 land protection target. The numbers are clear: 81,000 hectares protected, $64 million total cost, and a stated carbon storage figure of 30 million tonnes. What is less clear is how that carbon will be monitored and whether the stored carbon will count in any formal climate accounting. That detail will matter if this project becomes a template for other peatland protection deals.
