SFC Chair Leads Historic Grasslands Conservation Project

In early March, the Weston Family Foundation announced the launch of the Weston Family Prairie Grasslands Initiative, with nearly $25M awarded to five organizations to collaborate on one of the largest prairie grasslands conservation efforts in Canadian history. Temperate grasslands are the world’s most endangered ecosystem, with more than 70% of Canada’s grasslands already lost to urban sprawl or converted to crop land. Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) Ducks Unlimited Canada, Saskatchewan Stock Growers’ Foundation, Grasslands National Park (Parks Canada) and Meewasin Valley Authority will work with local communities from Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba to advance ecologically and economically sustainable, long-term solutions for this critical habitat.

This is exciting news for prairie grasslands at any level, but there’s an aspect of the project that is especially meaningful for the Saskatchewan Forage Council and its leadership team. SFC President and Lacadena-area rancher, Tamara Carter has been named Nature Conservancy Canada’s Director of Grasslands Conservation for Western Canada.

“This position holds tremendous appeal for me because there is acknowledgement of the stewardship role that ranchers play in protecting and enhancing grassland ecosystems, and support for ranchers to implement more beneficial actions,” says Carter. “The importance of native grasslands is well known to ranchers and to the conservation community, but the fact that these endangered ecosystems play a significant role in protecting wildlife and the environment is often missed in mainstream media. Indeed, certain industries and companies ignore or even misrepresent the beneficial role that cattle play in preserving these working landscapes. The Weston Family Foundation has shown great vision by acknowledging the positive impact that well managed grasslands contribute to wildlife habitat, watersheds, and to the environment through the enormous amounts of carbon that are sequestered in grasslands. Guided by science and research, the Weston Foundation has generously committed $25M to this initiative.”

Nature Conservancy of Canada will administer a Stewardship Investment Program that will focus on high priority grassland areas, that are over 100 acres in size, that have conservation easements or agreements with NCC. This is a shift from traditional conservation methods and will provide stewardship grants to the ranchers on these lands to implement actions to improve biodiversity on their pastures. The projects will target nine categories which include: improving range utilization, improving wildlife habitat, increasing native range, reducing fencing impacts on wildlife movement, reducing predator conflict, supporting species at risk, improving water management, weed and invasive species management and education for grassland stewards.

“The Weston Family Foundation’s commitment demonstrates a greater understanding of the importance of endangered ecosystems, the challenges that ranchers face in stewarding their lands, and a willingness to support and empower ranchers that are making strides in grasslands management,” Carter says.

“As a rancher who stewards over 7, 000 acres of native prairie, I have been so fortunate to welcome biologists, researchers and students onto our ranch who have monitored endangered species, like our burrowing owls, have searched for unique plant species, and other species not found in many places in Canada. It is a threatened ecosystem that provides so many benefits and is home to so many species of wildlife. The cow/calf industry is known to be a very low margin business, which can be difficult for consumers to fathom when the retail cost of beef can be out of their budget. We often face tough choices, driven by economics, which may impact grasslands. Right now, with high grain prices, more grasslands are being converted to cropland by the minute. Once these are gone, they are never restored to the same diverse plant communities. When ranchers are supported through stewardship initiatives like this one, they can implement more practices, such as modify their grazing, fencing or water systems that conserve species at risk, improve biodiversity and provide other ecological benefits. Where we have made improvements like this on our own ranch, we have witnessed the value and the impact on our cow herd, the wildlife, and the grasslands. It is a win for all.”