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Program directory · Environment and Climate Change Canada

Conservation and Species

Program code
BGT07 (EC)
Core responsibility
Conserving Nature
In Departmental Plans
2026-27 – 2026-27 · New since an earlier plan

What it does

The Conservation and Species Program is dedicated to safeguarding Canada's biodiversity, wildlife and their habitats, it supports environmental sustainability and reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

The Program engages with governments, Indigenous organizations and communities, NGOs, businesses, and the public to meet biodiversity commitments. It shapes policy, supports negotiations, administers regulations, offers scientific and technical advice, manages national wildlife areas and migratory bird sanctuaries, and issues various types of permits. Its scientific contributions include conducting research and maintaining data, which enable evidence-based program delivery. 

Serving federal, provincial, and territorial governments, Indigenous communities, NGOs, private landowners, academics and the public. The Program aims to secure, protect, manage, and restore habitats. It works to reduce threats to wildlife, manage migratory birds, recover species at risk and promote sustainable management practices, thereby contributing to recovering and maintaining Canada's biodiversity.

Source: the department's Program Inventory, via GC InfoBase.

History and lineage

First appears in the Departmental Plans in 2026-27. The data does not record when a program was created; it may be older than its first appearance here, which is limited by the sources (program spending starts in 2010-11, Departmental Plans in 2018-19).

2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-262026-272027-282028-29Habitat Conservation and Protection 2018-19: $73.3MHabitat Conservation and Protection 2019-20: $121MHabitat Conservation and Protection 2020-21: $178MHabitat Conservation and Protection 2021-22: $187MHabitat Conservation and Protection 2022-23: $269MHabitat Conservation and Protection 2023-24: $403MHabitat Conservation and Protection 2024-25: $383MHabitat Conservation and Protection 2025-26: $651MHabitat Conservation and Protection 2026-27: $199MHabitat Conservation and Protection 2027-28: $197MConservation and Species 2026-27: $343MConservation and Species 2027-28: $335MConservation and Species 2028-29: $328MHabitat Conservation and ProtectionConservation and Species
Bars: spending by fiscal year (dark: actual; light: actual restated on the 2017-18 program structure; outlined: the latest plan's forecast; grey: related programs). Bands: each program in the lineage over the years it has data.
ProgramRelationYears with dataActual spending over those years
Habitat Conservation and ProtectionEarlier program (name match, low confidence)2018-19 – 2027-28$1.61B
Conservation and SpeciesThis program2026-27 – 2028-29—

Significant changes in scope and budget

Detected from the data: renames between plans, programs it appears to replace, merge with or split into (matched by name), year-over-year changes in spending of at least 25% and $5M, or in employees of at least 20% and 25 FTEs, linked budget measures, and results indicators added or dropped.

YearWhat changedSource
2026-27Appears to replace Habitat Conservation and ProtectionCanada Spends name match across plans (an inference)

Success criteria

The program's indicators from its department's Departmental Results Framework: the target set in each year's plan, and the result reported the following year. Source: GC InfoBase.

Historical: targets against results

No results reported yet.

Current: the 2026-27 plan's targets

Area (in hectares) where natural environments are restored and/or enhanced
Expected result: Degraded environments are restored or enhanced as a result of community-based actions
5,3002026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 5,3002027—Planned
Percentage of Indigenous Peoples engaged in conservation who indicate that the engagement with Environment and Climate Change Canada was meaningful
Expected result: Indigenous Peoples are meaningfully engaged in conservation
66%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 66%2027—Planned
Percentage of migratory bird species whose population status can be assessed with high confidence
Expected result: Key knowledge is available to support migratory bird conservation and wildlife health
50%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 50%2027—Planned
Percentage of migratory game birds with healthy populations that support sustainable hunting with non-restrictive bag limits and season length
Expected result: Migratory bird harvest is maintained at sustainable levels so that populations remain within target ranges
94%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 94%2027—Planned
Percentage of species at risk for which changes in populations are consistent with recovery and management objectives
Expected result: Canada's species at risk are recovered
60%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 60%2027—Planned
Percentage of species whose critical habitat has been identified on federal land for which that habitat, wholly or in part, is protected
Expected result: Critical habitat for species at risk is protected on federal lands
55%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 55%2027—Planned
Percentage of target audience that confirmed modification in behavior as a result of project activities
Expected result: Awareness and understanding related to preventing or restoring environmental damage is increased
65%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 65%2027—Planned
Total area (km2) of habitat protected as Environment and Climate Change Canada National Wildlife Areas, Migratory Bird Sanctuaries and Conservation Areas
Expected result: Environment and Climate Change Canada network of protected areas grows to support the conservation of key biodiversity areas
151,5002026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 151,5002027—Planned
Total area (km2) of habitat secured by partners
Expected result: Habitat is conserved, restored, connected and protected in Canada by partners/Indigenous Peoples
190,0002026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 190,0002027—Planned

Future goals: targets due after 2026-27

Percentage of Canadian areas conserved as protected areas and Other Effective area-based Conservation Measures
Expected result: Canada’s wildlife and habitat are conserved and protected
30%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 30%2030—Planned
Percentage of migratory bird species that are within target population ranges
Expected result: Key knowledge is available to support migratory bird conservation and wildlife health
90%2026-27

Bars: result reported. Dashed line: target.

Report yearTargetDueResultStatus
2026-27≥ 90%2031—Planned

Spending and employees: planned against actual

Spending

2026-27: $343M2026-272027-28: $335M2027-282028-29: $328M2028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2026-27$343M—
2027-28$335M*—
2028-29$328M*—

Employees (FTEs)

2026-27: 9992026-272027-28: 9922027-282028-29: 9542028-29
Outlined bar: planned in that year's Departmental Plan (dashed: the latest plan, for years not yet reported). Filled bar: actual.
Show the numbers
Fiscal yearPlannedActual
2026-27999—
2027-28992*—
2028-29954*—

Planned spending, plan by plan

Each row is one year's Departmental Plan and its forecast for the next three fiscal years; read a column down to see how the forecast for one year changed. The last row is what was actually spent. Click an amount for its source. Biggest changes in federal spending plans

Plan2026-272027-282028-29
2026-27 plan$342,822,359$334,917,725$327,726,499
Actual

Actual spending is from Departmental Results Reports and the Public Accounts, as published in GC InfoBase. FTEs are full-time equivalents.