Conservation - Technical Working Group

What are we doing?

On behalf of the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg (MODL), and in partnership with the Clean Foundation, CBCL is developing a Land Conservation Strategy to guide the protection and conservation of 20% of the Municipality’s lands and watersheds by 2030. The Land Conservation Strategy aims to support existing planning and decision-making processes, such as the Land Conservation Process, through the provision of spatial analyses, decision-support tools, and standard operating procedures. The final Strategy will include a list of conservation criteria, identify priority areas for protection, detail an implementation pathway, and recommend the best tools for achieving the Municipality’s land conservation goal.

Why are we doing this?

In 2022, MODL adopted its Local Climate Change Action Plan which emphasizes the protection of natural ecosystems. As part of this, MODL has committed to protecting and/or conserving up to 20% of its lands and waters by 2030. In 2025, the Municipality adopted the Land Conservation Policy, a document describing conservation values, land conservation mechanisms, and a land conservation process for making informed decisions about protecting natural areas within the municipality The Strategy will be guided by the following conservation values:

1. Protection of Biodiversity
2. Enhancing Resilience and Reducing Risk
3. Protecting Ecosystem Services
4. Social and Community Benefits

The development of the Land Conservation Strategy will be informed by these values and will complement the Land Conservation Policy by providing a detailed approach and methodology for the identification, assessment, and protection of conservation lands.

How are we doing this?

CBCL will be conducting a land conservation prioritization analysis for MODL. We will be following an approach informed by systematic conservation planning (SCP), a method for identifying key natural areas while minimizing impacts on local communities and reducing management costs. As part of this process, we will assess how much each parcel contributes to protecting conservation features of interest. Working together with the Clean Foundation, the Municipality has identified 18 features considered important for conservation and completed a preliminary assessment. To refine these criteria, assign priorities, and establish conservation targets, CBCL is creating a Technical Working Group of regional experts to help guide the development of a scientifically robust valuation framework for conservation features within MODL. To refine these criteria, assign priorities, and establish conservation targets, CBCL is creating a Technical Working Group of regional experts to help guide the development of a scientifically robust valuation framework for conservation features within MODL