The Nature Conservancy and the Nature Conservancy of Canada Release First-Ever Combined List of Critical Conservation Sites for the Great Lakes

CHICAGO—-March 13, 2006—The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Great Lakes Program and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) jointly announced today the release of the first Binational Conservation Blueprint for the Great Lakes; a plan that reveals areas in critical need of conservation in both the United States and Canada. Developed with leading scientific expertise from within the region, the Blueprint provides government agencies, businesses and concerned residents on both sides of the border with a roadmap to preserve the Great Lakes ecosystem.

“We’re delighted to provide this blueprint to our partners in conservation,” said John Andersen, director of the Conservancy’s Great Lakes Program. “It will require the collaboration of many organizations, elected officials and community leaders in both nations to protect our natural heritage and restore this global freshwater treasure to a healthy, well-functioning system.”

More than 500 sites within the Great Lakes basin have been identified as priorities for conservation including forests, coastlines, islands, wetlands, rivers and inland lakes. The Great Lakes ecosystem is threatened by altered water flows, invasive species, extraction of natural resources, climate change, and incompatible development, agricultural and forestry practices.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley highlighted the need to protect sites identified in the Conservation Blueprint.

“Preservation and conservation of the Great Lakes is a serious commitment, and one we must continue to make on both sides of the international boundary. It is important to the economy and the quality of life in our region to take these concrete steps toward making our vision a reality,” Daley said.

In Illinois, eight sites are identified in the Blueprint as critical conservation areas, including Indian Boundary Prairies, where more species of native butterflies and plants have been found than almost any other prairie in Illinois. Located just south of Chicago, staff and volunteers conduct prescribed burns and remove invasive species to protect Indian Boundary Prairies’ high-quality grasslands and wetlands and to preserve the native plants and wildlife that depend on them. More than 400 acres are protected including an unplowed prairie remnant owned by The Nature Conservancy and Northeastern Illinois University that has been named a National Natural Landmark.

The Binational Conservation Blueprint for the Great Lakes is the first effort to map and analyze data on the variety of ecosystems and special biodiversity features across the entire Great Lakes basin. Based on the best science currently available, it brings together ecological assessments compiled across the eight Great Lake states and Ontario.

Cross-border collaboration to conserve many of these areas is already underway. Around Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River, TNC and NCC are working with Environment Canada, Cornell University, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other partners to develop a binational plan of action to restore an ecosystem that is in decline due to pollution, invasive species and altered water flows. In the Western Lake Erie Islands, TNC and NCC are working with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, Ohio State University and others to identify and protect important stopover habitat for the millions of migratory birds that visit each spring and fall. In northwestern Ontario, TNC, NCC and Ontario Parks are working together to protect 750 acres along the Pigeon River. The work will safeguard the last 7 miles of unprotected shoreline along a 90-mile international river known as the Boundary Waters Voyageur Waterway.

“The completion of this blueprint represents a major step forward for conservation of one of North America’s most important areas of biodiversity,” said NCC’s Regional Vice President for Ontario, Michael Bradstreet. “Identifying priority natural areas for conservation action in the Great Lakes region is critical for devising effective strategies and building consensus on where we need to focus our efforts.”

The Great Lakes hold 95 percent of North America’s surface fresh water and provide drinking water to 26 million people in the U.S. and Canada. The region’s natural resources fuel the economy, clean the air, moderate the climate and provide a wealth of recreational opportunities including fishing, boating and swimming.