The government of Alberta has announced it is introducing two new and improved provincial land conservation programs, the enhanced Private Land Conservation Program, and the new Ecosystem Services Grant program.
According to information from the Alberta government, these programs, which have $10 million in funding available through them, are designed to provide better protection for natural areas across Alberta while allowing landowners to use their land for farming, ranching, and other purposes.
Under the Private Land Conservation Program, formerly called the Land Trust Grant Program, funding will be distributed to Alberta-based land trusts only, which guarantees that money meant for conservation in Alberta stays in the province and benefits residents, according to the Government of Alberta.
The new Ecosystem Services Grant Program assists landowners in covering the costs of maintaining conservation lands, and this includes grasslands, riparian areas, and wetlands, according to the provincial government.
Miles Wowk, a representative for the Northeast Zone for Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) who sits on the board of directors for the ABP, said the programs will be good for landowners and agricultural producers in northeastern Alberta.
“The word of the day these days is sustainability,” Wowk told Lakeland This Week. “We’re all doing more and more practices to make our farming and ranching operations be more sustainable, and in a more environmental fashion.”
Producers have all done an amazing job of maintaining viable farming and ranching operations while being committed to conservation and implementing the best practices to lessen greenhouse gas emissions, said Wowk. Many have also been working to protect grasslands and wetlands, to help the environment.
By implementing the programs, Wowk continued, the provincial government is recognizing the need for protecting natural areas while providing chances for producers to do new practices.
“Any of those programs are good because it gives us an opportunity to get some grant money to do the good things that we need to do,” he stated.
According to information from the Government of Alberta, private landowners across the province strongly support conservation, and have helped to conserve more than 142,000 acres since 2019.
Rebecca Schulz, the province’s minister of Environment and Protected Areas, praised the new Private Land Conservation Program and the new Ecosystem Services Grant Program.
“Landowners have been asking for a program that supports conservation while still letting them safely and sustainably use their lands,” said Schulz. “These new and improved programs will deliver greater environmental impact per dollar by aligning conservation outcomes with landowners’ needs and on-the-ground realities.”
Doug Roxburgh, chair of Alberta Beef Producers, said the organization is encouraged to see the provincial government recognizing the value of ecological goods and services and taking steps to support working landscapes.
“Canada loses approximately 148,000 acres of grasslands each year, and programs like this can help keep ranchers, the stewards of these native ecosystems, on the land, maintaining healthy habitat and supporting species at risk for generations to come,” Roxburgh stated.
As stated by the government of Alberta, applications are being accepted for both the Private Land Conservation Program and the Ecosystem Services Grant Program until Oct. 1.
