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Nature Conservancy of Canada announces funds all raised for largest conservation agreement in Canadian history
It’s the largest such conservation agreement in Canadian history, covering 22,000 hectares of grasslands and wetland habitats in Sourthern Alberta
Calgary Herald: Author of the article:Stephen Tipper Published Apr 22, 2024
The land features abundant wildlife, including elk, deer and even grizzly bear, as well as birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish. Recent wildlife surveys have revealed 27 species of concern living there, including ferruginous hawk (threatened), chestnut-collared longspur (threatened) and American badger (special concern).
“If we want bears and eagles and coyotes and deer, guess what? We’ve got to save some of the habitat in which they live,” said Ralph Thrall, whose family has owned the property for 76 years.
Outlining the importance of grasslands, Lynch-Staunton said they provide habitat for pollinators, filter water, and store and sequester carbon.
“When those grasslands remain intact, we are keeping carbon in the ground and pulling carbon from the atmosphere into the ground through those biodiverse plants that draw that CO2 into the soil,” he said.
The NCC’s goal is to protect 500,000 hectares of native prairie grasslands by 2030, and the McIntyre Ranch is the largest agreement completed under its Prairie Grasslands Action Plan, which launched last summer.
