Former Canadian premier donates 185 acres to protect rare lichens

Former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Danny Williams and his family have donated 75 hectares, or about 185 acres, of family land to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) to protect rare lichen habitat.

The land, located north of St. Catharines in Newfoundland and Labrador, has been added to the Salmonier River Nature Reserve, bringing the protected area to 485 hectares, or roughly 1,198 acres.

The donation followed an NCC survey that found boreal felt lichen on the Williams family property.

The species is listed as being of special concern under Canada’s Species at Risk Act and grows in only a few areas around the world.

The newly protected land also contains forests and wetlands supporting other species at risk.

The conservation project began after the Nature Conservancy of Canada approached Williams in September 2023 about the possibility of rare lichens growing on his family’s land.

NCC subsequently organised a targeted lichen survey, which confirmed the presence of boreal felt lichen, a tree-dwelling species that is listed as special concern in Newfoundland under Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act.

The survey also found blue felt lichen and frosted glass-whiskers lichen nearby, both of which are also listed as special concern.

The findings prompted discussions about permanently protecting the property and its unusual habitat.

Williams and his family donated 75 hectares of their land to NCC, allowing it to become part of the existing Salmonier River Nature Reserve.

The addition increased the reserve from its previous size to 485 hectares, or approximately 1,198 acres.

NCC said the expanded reserve and its habitats will be conserved for generations.

Williams described himself as a long-time advocate for environmental stewardship and said he was pleased to contribute after learning about the rare lichen and NCC’s plans to study and protect it.

The donation also marks a decade of conservancy’s work in the Salmonier area.

Boreal felt lichens are particularly dependent on mature and over-mature balsam fir trees, as well as decaying trees, and thrive in cool, moist conditions.

NCC says the species is especially sensitive to the loss of mature forest because clearing can create drier conditions and remove potential host trees.

The Salmonier River area provides those conditions through its forests, wetlands and distinctive climate.

The reserve lies in the Avalon Forest Ecoregion, Newfoundland’s smallest ecoregion, where frequent fog collects over low-lying, sheltered bogs.

The protected landscape therefore preserves more than the rare lichens themselves.

The newly protected section of the Salmonier River Nature Reserve consists of forest and wetlands that provide habitat for several other species at risk.

The conservancy identifies the red crossbill as threatened, while the olive-sided flycatcher is listed as special concern.

The area also provides habitat for the little brown myotis and northern long-eared bat, both listed as endangered under Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act.

The reserve also acts as a forested buffer for the 107,000-hectare Avalon Wilderness Reserve, which was established to protect barrens and forests supporting the Avalon woodland caribou herd, the most southerly caribou herd in Canada.