Conservation Agreement Preserves Prairie Grasslands and Ranching Legacy in Southwestern Alberta
NCC partners with the Bectell family to conserve grasslands supporting rare species
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is announcing the conservation of important grasslands in southwestern Alberta, near Police Outpost Provincial Park.
This 323-hectare property, conserved through a partnership between NCC and its owners, the Bectell family, marks a significant step in conserving both the region's natural heritage and its ranching traditions.
The Bectell family are known for their cow-calf ranching operation and sustainable rotational grazing practices dating to 1917. This new conservation agreement ensures the Bectell’s property will continue to operate as a working landscape for cattle production while maintaining its remarkable ecological integrity.
Cattle are important to grassland health. When properly managed, their grazing behaviour approximates the historic actions of bison, including grazing and trampling. This disturbance, along with fire, helps maintain the health of grasslands, and creates diverse habitats for many plants and animals. Many species need shorter grass to survive, while others need longer grass.
This project further expands NCC's efforts in the area, which now form a contiguous block of almost 2,900 hectares of conserved lands west of the St. Mary River near the Canada-US border.
A key feature of this newly conserved property is its extensive prairie grasslands, constituting nearly 80 per cent of its area. These grasslands provide vital functions such as water filtration, carbon sequestration, soil protection, and provision of wildlife habitat.
The Bectell’s property provides habitat to many different species of wildlife, including several listed under Canada’s Species At Risk Act, including ferruginous hawk, grizzly bear, horned grebe, and American badger. The property also features populations of western blue iris, an at-risk plant species.
This conservation project was made possible by the Bectell family along with private donors and supporters. Contributions were also made by the Government of Canada, through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, part of Canada’s Nature Fund, by the Government of Alberta, through the Alberta Land Trust Grant Program, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, and by private contributors, including the Weston Family Foundation, through the Weston Family Prairie Grasslands Initiative. It was supported by the Government of Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program, which provides significant tax benefits for individuals or corporations who donate ecologically sensitive land.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC)’s Prairie Grasslands Action Plan is an unprecedented effort to rally Canadians to protect one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems. The Plan will lead efforts to conserve more than 500,000 hectares by 2030 — an area six times the size of the city of Calgary — and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Quotes
“This partnership is a testament to the power of collaborative conservation efforts. The Bectell family's commitment to preserving their land and its environmental values will undoubtedly leave a legacy. Yet again, stewardship-minded ranchers in Alberta are helping lead us towards our nation’s ambitious conservation goals." – Tom Lynch-Staunton, Regional Vice-President, Nature Conservancy of Canada
"These grasslands have been here for thousands of years, and if we take care of them, they will continue to benefit wildlife and people. Our family would never want to see this property subdivided and turned into acreages. We're pleased to know our land will remain intact and continue to be managed in the way we have done for generations." – Jeff Bectell, Landowner
“By working with the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada is supporting the conservation of working prairie grasslands in Alberta. These prairie grasslands are a globally significant resource that clean our water, preserve biodiversity, and store vast amounts of carbon that would otherwise fuel climate change. Through programs like the Natural Heritage Conservation Program and the Ecological Gifts Program, and thanks to generous landowners such as the Bectell family, Canada is making progress toward its goal to protect 30 percent of land and water in Canada by 2030.” – The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Facts
- Canada's Prairie grasslands sequester billions of tonnes of carbon securely in their root networks. Recent research demonstrates that protecting our native grasslands is the single most effective nature-based solution available to Canada for mitigating the effects of climate change. The best way to ensure these grasslands remain that way is to support the landowners stewarding them. Sustainable ranching and biodiversity can go hand in hand in grasslands.
- Western blue iris (also known as western blue flag) is a species of wildflower that grows in wet meadows and shorelines at less than a dozen sites in southwestern Alberta. It is listed as Special Concern under Canada’s Species At Risk Act. The Bectells have helped support the study and management of this imperilled species.
About
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the country’s unifying force for nature. NCC seeks solutions to the twin crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change through large-scale, permanent land conservation. As a trusted partner, NCC works with people, communities, businesses and government to protect and care for our country’s most important natural areas. Since 1962, NCC has brought Canadians together to conserve and restore more than 15 million hectares. To learn more, visit natureconservancy.ca.
The Government of Alberta created the Alberta Land Trust Grant program in 2011 — a program designed to support land trusts such as the Nature Conservancy of Canada to assist in the purchase of conservation agreements on ecologically significant landscapes and donations of land with high conservation value.
The Government of Canada’s Natural Heritage Conservation Program (NHCP) is a unique partnership that supports the creation and recognition of protected and conserved areas through the acquisition of private land and private interest in land. To date, the Government of Canada has invested more than $440 million in the Program, which has been matched with more than $870 million in contributions raised by Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited Canada and the country’s land trust community leading to the protection and conservation of more than 700,000 hectares of ecologically sensitive lands.
To learn more about the Ecological Gifts Program, please visit: https://www.canada.ca/ecological-gifts
The Weston Family Prairie Grasslands Initiative – Stewardship Investment Program is a multi-year collaboration (2021–2024) to celebrate, steward and protect one of Canada’s most ecologically valuable and threatened ecosystems: native prairie grasslands. Through this initiative, NCC will bring together a diverse group of individuals and organizations to accelerate the adoption of sustainable approaches to help conserve grasslands and improve on farm sustainability and viability. For more information, visit prairegrasslandsinitiative.ca.
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