New National Park Reserve to Protect Important Boreal Forest Landscape
Posted February 9, 2010
The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada have accepted the Mealy Mountains Steering Committee’s recommendation regarding 1) a final boundary for a national park in the Mealy Mountains, Labrador and 2) the continuation of traditional land use activities within the national park such as hunting and trapping. The province has also announced the intention to establish a waterway provincial park along the Eagle River. This is the most significant protected areas announcement in the province since the establishment of the Torngat Mountains National Park and will see some 13,000 square kilometers of Labrador wilderness protected. More...

Marine Ecoregions of North America: a tool for ocean conservation
Posted January 6, 2010
This new book describes and maps the diverse marine ecosystems that surround the North American continent. The approach builds upon the partnerships and concepts that were used to depict the marine ecozones in CCEA’s Report #14 – A Perspective on Canada’s Ecosystems.

As with the terrestrial ecosystems, Canada shares many marine ecosystems and marine resources with the United States and Mexico in particular. The North American wide system of marine ecosystems hosts an incredible array and diversity of natural resources, from the northern Arctic Oceans through to the more southern Atlantic and Pacific waters. They are important for varied biodiversity conservation and socio-economic reasons. However, the integrity and sustainability of these marine ecosystems are under threat from pressures such as pollution, fishing practices, oil and gas exploration, etc. Further understanding these marine ecosystems is a positive step in assisting governments, conservation organizations and industry to better manage and conserve them now and into the future.

The CCEA was central partner in contributing to the Marine Ecoregions of North America, a new book and maps produced by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). The CEC ( www.cec.org ), marine book/maps was multiple year and joint effort conducted by American, Canadian and Mexican organizations and professionals (ecologists, marine biologists, geographers and managers). It product classifies the surrounding North American oceans into 24 major ecoregions and then smaller accompanying sub-ecoregions. Through maps, photos and detailed information on habitats, biophysical features and human activities, the book describes the diversity of oceans from the Beaufort Sea to the Gulf of Mexico, covering the continent's territorial waters in the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. More...
Contact: Ed Wiken, Past Chairman CCEA