Canadian company donates 1,800 hectares of land for conservation
The donation by Domtar will help the Nature Conservancy of Canada protect ecosystems around Gander Lake in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The forestry company Domtar has gifted over 1,800 hectares of boreal forest, wetlands, and freshwater shoreline in central Newfoundland and Labrador to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). According to a Times of India report, the land consists of four parcels located near Glenwood and Appleton along the Gander Lake and Southwest Gander River.
The NCC announced the initiative on October 1, 2025, noting it is the largest land donation the organisation has received during its 54 years of work in Atlantic Canada. The donation aims to improve wildlife movement by connecting natural habitats in a region where less than 3 per cent of the Central Newfoundland ecoregion is currently protected.
The protected area includes habitats for the Middle Ridge caribou herd and species such as the Newfoundland pine marten and red crossbill, which are listed as threatened. The Gander River system also supports Atlantic salmon, Arctic char, and brook trout.
Domtar stated the move reflects its commitment to environmental stewardship and preserving natural heritage. The project is supported by the Government of Canada through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program.
The NCC said that legal hunting and angling will continue once the conservation process is finished. Additionally, signs will be installed to ensure all-terrain vehicle users stay on existing trails to limit disturbances to the environment.