Vision

• Economic (e.g., tourism, land values);
• Social (community pride, healthy Communities, sense of place);
• Scientific (study, understanding); and
• Aesthetic (scenery, flowers, etc.).

Combined, all these motivations led to a "Vision for Conservation" that emerged from a discussion of how our preferred future will differ from today:

• The kind of landscape we want;
• The approaches we prefer--how will conservation be achieved and biodiversity protected;
• The organization preferred--who will do what, and how will this be coordinated;
• The way conservationists work together;
• The way conservation will be funded.

Landscape

All elements of the landscape require some attention. However a shift in focus from past projects was proposed in response to new information about forest fragmentation and interior forest, threats to rural water quality and opportunities in urban green space. The group recommended greater emphasis on:

• Forest cover, particularly interior forest;
• Stream water quality and protection of wetlands;
• Native species and nature in cities and towns; and
• Prairies and savannah (particularly in the southern counties).

The science of landscape ecology suggests that the diversity of native species and communities can be sustained by a system of core natural areas with connecting corridors. In many parts of the Carolinian region, natural habitats are fragmented and isolated. It is vital to protect those habitats that remain, to buffer them from incompatible nearby land use, and to restore large core areas and connecting corridors in appropriate locations.

Restoration projects may take the form of tree planting, rehabilitation of wetlands and stream courses and planting or management of prairie sites. However, experience has shown that ecological restoration is expensive, and the restored areas often lack the diversity of natural habitats. First priority should be given to protection of existing habitats. Restoration should be used to strengthen, enlarge or connect these core areas.

Approach

In the past, Carolinian programs focused on securing and protecting 38 priority sites and working with the landowners within these sites. With this essential work well advanced, a much broader application of conservation measures is recommended to strengthen the remainder of the ecosystem. Expanding attention to streams, wetlands, forests, and prairie requires a broad landscape approach and involves a much larger client group. New strategies are needed to reach this larger client group and new resources are needed to support these initiatives.

New strategies include finding common cause with landowners. Seventy-five percent of the land base in Carolinian Canada is dedicated to farming. Too often, farmers and other landowners have participated late in the development of conservation programs. Clearly, to achieve significant progress in the broad landscape, farmers must be involved from the outset and a cooperative approach will be essential.

New programs will need local funding, volunteers and political support. To secure these resources there must be broad community understanding of the issues and benefits of conservation and biodiversity. Only through better informed landowners and general public can programs expect better funding. Consequently, four principles underlie the proposed actions in this strategy:

• Education: undertaking extensive education and communication about biodiversity, endangered species and natural communities in the Carolinian Region, including greater use of native species in urban green space;
• Science: using science-based information and landscape ecology to avoid unsound choices and to design effective measures priorities for the protection and restoration of habitats
• Cooperation: finding common cause with farmers to develop programs that benefit both agriculture and nature; and
• Community: sparking local community action through a range of stewardship opportunities and activities.

Organizing for Conservation

Federal and Provincial purchases of land and direct action for conservation are being reduced. These decreases may be partially offset by increased regional, local and private efforts and investment. However, some functions cannot be assumed by others. Federal and Provincial governments must continue these essential functions including: enforcement of laws, international negotiation, tax incentives and programs of data collection, analysis, technical advice and research that support sound decision making by all sectors.

The following groups are forecast to play increased roles in conservation:

• Conservation authorities, because of their watershed perspective, land management experience, expertise and their roots in the community;
• Stewardship councils, because of their local landowner representation;
• Municipal governments, because of increased planning responsibilities; and
• Land trusts and other private community-based land protection organizations.

Working Together

In the past, conservation depended on a few organizations and individuals with a strong interest in some aspect of nature. This new vision requires a much wider participation and support, including: landowners, municipal councils, service clubs, chambers of commerce, health councils, farming and educational organizations. Everyone concerned with conservation should reach out and enlist groups not traditionally involved.

An inclusive program with participants joined by common conviction and objectives is very different from one dependent on a chain of command and control. Consequently, future working relationships should be:

• Broadly based, reflecting the benefits of biodiversity and a healthy region;
• Reaching out to other individuals and interest groups, e.g., health, tourism, commerce, industry, educational institutions;
• More local involvement, local "ownership," more "friends of . . . " groups;
• More collaborative, less directive, based on improved understanding and mutual interest;
• Better networked, avoiding duplication, more shared projects;
• Forward looking, goals driven rather than program or crisis driven; and
• Working with a sound scientific base, but action oriented when the balance of evidence supports, avoiding both "analysis paralysis" and emotional choices.

Bringing in more volunteer, community and cooperative participation will require a different structure and relationships. Coordination will be very important and challenging, but should be somewhat different from the initial program led by the Carolinian Canada Steering Committee. A networking and facilitating organization is proposed, tentatively named the "Carolinian Canada Coalition" with membership and function as described in the "Implementation" section of this report.

Funding

Despite recent constraints on government funding programs, it is crucial that governments continue to address their responsibilities in this threatened region. There is no practical substitute for adequate funding of conservation by federal, provincial and municipal governments.

However, funding of future programs will change. Decentralization of planning and conservation should stimulate increased funds from:

• Corporate programs to benefit the community;
• Philanthropic individuals and organizations;
• Existing foundations
• New groups formed to fund community projects (e.g., "Friends of...")
• Individual planned giving, tax planning and bequests;
• User-pay/donations from tourists and others who benefit from using conservation facilities;
• Voluntary effort in aid of conservation; and
• Tax breaks and incentives for conservation through the Federal and Provincial governments.

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