Alberta invests $ 10 million to preserve native meadows

The Alberta government announced this week an investment of $ 10 million to launch two private land conservation programs.

This initiative aims to facilitate the protection of natural areas by landowners, while allowing them to maintain their economic activities.

These two programs – the improved private land conservation program and the new subsidy program for ecosystem services – aims to better meet the needs of landowners, increase conservation efforts and protect essential Alberta ecosystems.

A more flexible program

The Private Land Conservation Program replaces the old subsidy program for land trusts, and its funds will now be exclusively allocated to Alberta -based trustees.

According to the government, a major innovation of this new program is the introduction of long -term conservation easements, the duration of which can go up to 50 years.

This concept offers unprecedented flexibility to owners.

Previously, commitment was a servitude for perpetual conservation and dissuaded many owners, worried about potential long -term changes.

The subsidy program for ecosystem services

For its part, the new subsidy program for ecosystem services offers financial assistance to Alberta landowners.

Its objective is to cover the costs linked to the maintenance of conservation lands, thus benefiting all the Albertans.

Clearly, it is a financial incentive not to develop native meadows.

Rebecca Schulz, Minister of the Environment and Protected Areas, said these new programs will have an environmental impact increased by dollar by aligning the conservation results on the needs of landowners and realities on the ground .

The landowners demanded a program that supports conservation while allowing them to use their land safely and sustainable

New arguments to convince the most recalcitrant

Lance Engley, special project manager for theAlberta Conservation Associationunderlines that farmers are often forced, because of their financial situation, to transform their land into cultures.

He is convinced that these new approaches will make it possible to open a dialogue with landowners hitherto indifferent, thus increasing the potential for land protection.

According to him, subsidies for ecosystem services will reduce the income gap between a cultivated field annually and a breeding.

In this way, we can help pay these landowners for the conservation of these native meadows which are so important for fauna and species in danger in wetlands and, you know, control of floods and all that these native ecosystems bring.

According to Doug Roxburgh, president of Alberta Beef Producers, Canada loses approximately 148,000 acres of meadows each year, and programs like this can help keep the breeders, the intendants of these native ecosystems, on their land, by maintaining a healthy habitat and by supporting species in danger for future generations.

The crucial importance of meadows

Michael Champion, Regional Director of Relations with Industry and the Government for Unlimited Ducks Canada, believes that these programs send a Strong signal to meadow managers, which are mainly the farming sector in Alberta, that the meadows they manage are important not only for livestock, but also for society as a whole.

However, Tara RussellDirector of programs for the Northern section of Alberta of the Société for Nature and the Parks of Canada (SNAP), recalls that if the conservation of private land is crucial, 60 % of Alberta lands are public lands managed by the province.

It insists that climate and biodiversity crises have no borders, whether public or private land.

It is just as important to focus on the conservation of public land as on the conservation of private land

Applications for the two programs are accepted until October 1, 2025. Details on how to apply and eligibility are available on the government’s website.