Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta has a new area of preserved natural grassland right outside Waterton Lakes National Park. Dubbed the Yarrow project, it comprises 150,000 acres. “It really is one of the most unique and incredible properties I’ve ever personally been to,” said Jeremy Hogan, director of prairie grassland with the Nature Conservancy of Canada. He said the […] Read more
Yarrow Project extends grassland preservation
Area will rely on cattle to replace the ecosystem services of bison, Nature Conservancy of Canada says
Threatened rangelands will be in the global spotlight in 2026
The UN’s international year will highlight both the threat and ways to preserve this critical habitat
Reading Time: 3 minutes Peas, lentils and beans got a big boost in their public profile thanks to the UN’s International Year of Pulses in 2016 and soon rangelands will get their turn in the spotlight. While “it’s tough to get people excited” about an event that’s still three years away, the UN International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists […] Read more
Sparing grassland from the plow — and from housing developments
A landowner-led group has more than 60 conservation easements covering about 40,000 acres of prime native grassland, foothills and riparian areas
Reading Time: 4 minutes A southern Alberta organization is having success with conservation agreements to keep the environment and cattle ranching intact. “The easement is very pro-grazing and ranching,” said Justin Thompson, executive director of the Southern Alberta Land Trust Society (SALTS). “There’s not a lot of restrictions around the actual operation. What we want to avoid is those […] Read more
Nature Conservancy adds wildlife corridor
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Nature Conservancy of Canada has purchased two parcels of land next to Waterton Lakes National Park that it says will serve as a key wildlife corridor. Although the 630-acre purchase “may seem like a relatively small addition … it will result in a large benefit for nature,” the organization said. The properties, located just […] Read more
PHOTOS: The rough fescue grasses of Alberta
Reading Time: < 1 minute Rough fescue is a densely tufted bunchgrass. Three varieties grow in Canada: Plains rough fescue, foothills rough fescue and northern rough fescue. What makes these grasses unique, owner of Mount Sentinel Ranch Sarah Green says, is that unlike other grasses, they cure on long stems above ground, keeping palatable high-quality nutrients available even in deep […] Read more
Are you seeing a decline in grasslands?
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ranchers, landowners, and cattle producers are being asked to take a 10-minute survey on grassland conservation. The survey is part of an initiative being undertaken in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico called the Central Grasslands Roadmap. Survey information will be used in developing programs and policies, says a description of the survey, which is being […] Read more
Supply chain improvement funds pledged in federal budget
Money also added for support of TFWs, P.E.I. potato sector
The federal government’s release last week of its Emissions Reduction Plan has turned out to be the spoiler for new ag funding in Thursday’s 2022 budget — although more money is also pledged to help strengthen cross-country supply chains generally. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Thursday laid out a federal budget with about $452.3 billion […] Read more
Click your way to grasslands and wildlife protection
New guide from Birds Canada assembles a host of resources and makes them easily accessible
Reading Time: 2 minutes A new guide from Birds Canada offers an online version of a one-stop shop for resources for protecting and enhancing grasslands, preventing biodiversity loss, and finding grants for such efforts. “Across North America, birds that depend on grasslands are in steeper decline than most other groups of birds,” the organization said in a release. “Nearly 60 […] Read more
DUC program to convert cropland to forages
Reading Time: < 1 minute A new $5-million program aims to return 125,000 acres of Prairie cropland to grass and pasture over the next three years. The Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) program, with funding from McDonald’s Canada and Cargill, will offer farmers discounted seed and technical support to help establish forages on their land. Converting 125,000 acres of cropland to […] Read more
Grasslands conservation effort gets $70-million boost
Major grasslands initiative to fund 800 stewardship projects across the Prairies
Reading Time: 4 minutes There have been a lot of grasslands conservation efforts, but none as large as the Weston Family Prairie Grasslands Initiative. Five organizations are being given nearly $25 million by the Weston Family Foundation for what may be the largest grasslands conservation effort ever in Canada. And each of the five groups will be committing additional […] Read more
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