The April 7 Federal Budget weighed in at about two pounds and had some good news for freshwater protection in New Brunswick.
Budget 2022 proposes $19.6-million to support the Freshwater Action Plan and clean-up efforts in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, the Fraser River, the Wolastoq/St. John River, the Mackenzie River, and Lake Simcoe.
It was especially lovely to see the Wolastoq/St. John signaled out as a national priority.
The $19.6-million is for one year and falls far, far short of the 10-year, $1-billion commitment made in 2021, but officials in Environment and Climate Change have told your Conservation Council that the details of the more significant, $100-million per year commitment to the Freshwater Action Plan will be fleshed out this year.
The budget also dedicated $43.5-million over five years, plus ongoing support for creating a new Canada Water Agency.
In the section, “Taking More Action to Eliminate Plastic Waste,” Budget 2022 allocates $183.1-million over five years to reduce plastic waste, conduct related research and monitor plastic pollution in water systems.