Thursday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the launch of a National Conservation Plan. Leeds Grenville MP Gord Brown supports the plan, saying it will provide a more coordinated approach to conservation efforts across the country with an emphasis on enabling Canadians to conserve and restore lands and waters in and around their communities, and making it easier for citizens living in cities to connect with nature. The NCP, which was a commitment made in the 2013 Speech from the Throne, will include significant additional investments over five years to secure ecologically sensitive lands, support voluntary conservation and restoration actions, and strengthen marine and coastal conservation.