As many as 100 new protected areas will be created in Quebec's urban regions through a new $25 million public funding program.

The money will help conservation groups approach private owners with green space and convince them to turn part of their land into protected areas.

Many private landowners are receptive to preserving parts of their land when they're given the right information and incentive, said Natalie Zinger, Quebec vice-president of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

"It may just start with awareness building and people taking that," she said. "And often as a landowner, you feel proud of your piece of property."

The Quebec program will provide 50 per cent of the funds needed to buy the land, and will help finance long-term maintenance of protected lands.

Long-term help is key to convincing landowners to hand over acres, Zinger said.

"Often people assume that once you own the property, the [conservation] protection is there," but it's not, she said. "Once you own the property, the real [conservation] work starts."

The program should have an impact on overall efforts to protect plant and animal diversity in urban areas, said Environment Minister Line Beauchamp.