Ontario Investing $2 Million to Protect the Boreal Forest

Funding will help protect more than 200,000 acres of important natural heritage in the North

The Ontario government is investing $2 million through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program to support the Nature Conservancy of Canada's (NCC) Taiga Forest and Peatlands project in northern Ontario, protecting more than 200,000 acres (81,000 hectares) of ecologically significant boreal forest, wetlands and peatlands. This brings Ontario’s total support for the Greenlands program to more than $60 million. As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government is protecting more natural areas to support healthier communities, local tourism and a stronger economy.

“We are proud to be working with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect such an expansive area of the boreal forest in northern Ontario,” said Todd McCarthy, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “Through this investment, we are supporting one of the largest private land conservation projects in Ontario’s history and helping preserve a globally significant boreal landscape that will continue to provide environmental and community benefits for generations.”

Included in the 2026 Ontario Budget, the $2-million investment demonstrates the government’s commitment to conserving ecologically important lands through strategic partnerships. Through the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program, every provincial dollar invested is matched by at least two dollars from non-provincial partners, maximizing value for taxpayers while advancing lasting conservation outcomes.

“Our government’s $2 million investment reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship by helping protect one of the largest private land conservation opportunities in the province’s history while benefiting communities across northern Ontario,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “Leveraging the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program to maximize this investment will deliver lasting environmental benefits while helping keep this globally significant landscape a valuable asset for future generations.”

“Protecting the Taiga Forest and Peatlands means safeguarding one of the most powerful natural systems that we have for storing carbon, protecting water and strengthening northern communities,” said Dana Kleniewski, the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s regional vice-president in Ontario. “Ontario's leadership and support from other partners enables us to act at the scale that nature needs. Together, we are protecting a globally important landscape that will continue to deliver real value for people and nature.”

The investment builds on the success of the Greenlands Conservation Partnership program, Ontario’s largest provincial program dedicated to conserving private land. Since its launch in 2020, the program has helped accelerate the protection, restoration and stewardship of ecologically important lands across the province.

As part of its plan to protect Ontario, the government will continue to work with partners like the Nature Conservancy of Canada to conserve the province’s most significant natural areas for future generations.

Quick Facts

• The Taiga Forest and Peatlands project represents one of the largest private land conservation opportunities in Ontario’s history.
• The taiga, or boreal forest, is one of the world’s most extensive forest ecosystems.
• Funding for the project was included in the 2026 Ontario Budget and supports the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s ongoing efforts to secure long-term protection of the Taiga Forest and Peatlands.
• Since 2020, Ontario’s Greenlands Conservation Partnership program has helped protect more than 637,000 acres (approximately 258,000 hectares) of land across Ontario — an area more than four times the size of the City of Toronto.