New Agreements in Northwest Territories and Manitoba Integrate Government Collaboration and Local Leadership

March 10, 2025

Two recent announcements made by the Government of Canada and provincial and territorial governments take important steps towards protecting nature, supporting local leadership and stewardship, and equipping communities to benefit from the sustainable management of their lands and waters.

“Deep collaboration, local engagement and durable financing are proven strategies for protecting nature in a way that benefits people,” says Hadley Archer, Executive Director of Nature United. “The agreements announced in the Northwest Territories and Manitoba reflect progress towards ensuring nature can continue to provide for local communities and economies.”

In the Northwest Territories, a new Nature Agreement will support the territorial government’s nature protection goals, including the implementation of the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP), called Our Land for the Future, that was announced in November 2024. The PFP combines federal and private funding to support locally defined nature protection priorities, while creating jobs and other economic opportunities across the territory.

Good for Nature and People The Northwest Territories and Manitoba are vital to the fresh air, healthy waterways and forests, and abundant wildlife that communities depend on. © Pat Kane
Collaboration The new agreements integrate governmental collaboration and local engagement to conserve nature. © Pat Kane

“With communities leading, the PFP aims to protect nearly 38 million hectares in Northwest Territories while also creating good, sustainable jobs,” says Tracey Williams, Northwest Territories Program Director at Nature United. “This announcement continues momentum towards building a strong and resilient future for Canada’s North.”

PFPs are sustainable finance mechanisms for large-scale initiatives that integrate environmental and social benefits and are underpinned by collaboration across communities, governments, and other partners. Globally, recent PFPs (including in the Great Bear Sea) have supported efforts to protect 127 million hectares through collaborative land- and marine-use plans and durable financing.

Quote: Amanda Karst

This milestone reflects a commitment across governments to protect nature in Manitoba, which supports healthy communities, culture and economic development. It will also fund Indigenous engagement, which is essential to define how resources can best be allocated to uphold local values and knowledge.

Amanda Karst Boreal Program Director, Nature United

In Manitoba, a Memorandum of Understanding signed by provincial and federal governments starts the process for developing a Nature Agreement by 2026. The MOU will support collaboration between crown governments and Indigenous partners to identify and advance shared priorities for the protection and management of lands and waters in the province.

“This milestone reflects a commitment across governments to protect nature in Manitoba, which supports healthy communities, culture and economic development. It will also fund Indigenous engagement, which is essential to defining how resources can best be allocated to uphold local values and knowledge,” says Amanda Karst, Nature United’s Boreal Program Director. “Nature United looks forward to working with partners in Manitoba towards a Nature Agreement that unites governance and resourcing solutions that meet local needs and safeguard a vibrant future for all.”

These announcements reflect a shared recognition that communities are best placed to steward nature, which provides wide-ranging benefits, from stronger local and regional economies to biodiversity. The Northwest Territories and Manitoba are vital to the fresh air, healthy waterways and forests, and abundant wildlife that Canadians care about and can rely upon for generations to come.

Nature United is committed to supporting the next stages of these announcements, drawing on our expertise in planning, financing and governance to conserve lands and waters and ensure nature is the foundation of healthy communities, economies and future opportunities.

Nature United was founded as a Canadian charity in 2014, building on decades of conservation in Canada. Headquartered in Toronto, our organization has field staff located across the country. Nature United supports Indigenous leadership, sustainable economic development and science and large-scale conservation, primarily in British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Manitoba. Our organization is also working to accelerate Natural Climate Solutions at national and regional scales. To learn more, visit natureunited.ca or follow us on Linkedin, Instagram and Facebook.

We are the Canadian affiliate of The Nature Conservancy, a global conservation organization with more than a million members and a diverse team that includes more than 400 scientists. Our global organization works in more than 80 countries and territories — either directly or through partnerships — to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. To learn more, visit www.nature.org or follow @nature_press.

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