MANYBERRIES, Alta. — There is an endless expanse of cloudless blue sky above and a seemingly equal expanse of rolling prairie below in this area of native grassland deep in southeastern Alberta.
Few vehicles meet the nondescript white truck as it travels the sparsely populated back roads and byways, but there are many things to see.
Francois Blouin’s eyes snap skyward as he spots a hawk circling high above the prairie.
“Swainsons,” he said, quickly identifying the breed before explaining the raptor’s characteristic wing markings.
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The wildlife biologist is program co-ordinator for Multisar, the multiple species at risk project dedicated to conserving wildlife habitat in the grassland natural region.
By assessing habitat and taking wildlife inventories, Multisar can make recommendations to ranchers interested in developing or preserving habitat.
The term species at risk is a catchall phrase encompassing endangered and threatened species and others that need special management so that they don’t disappear.
About 26 percent of Alberta’s grasslands remain in a natural state, and 75 percent of the province’s at-risk plants and animals are found in grasslands.
Given that 44 percent of native grasslands are under private ownership, Blouin said it’s vital to work with ranchers on habitat protection projects.
“For us, ranchers are a necessity,” he said. “Good grass-fed beef is essential to conservation efforts.”
Multisar is working with several southeastern Alberta ranchers on habitat protection. In some cases, the organization covers part of the cost of building fences and installing water troughs away from rivers and dugouts.
“Our approach is to work with the landowner,” said Blouin. “Because we’re part of coming up with solutions, ranchers feel it’s something they can implement. We’re not there to prevent development.”
Landowners weren’t always pleased about biologists imposing their views when at-risk species were found on private land. There were also conflicting views among agencies about how land should be managed for different species.
That is why the “multi” in Multisar stands for multiple partners, among them ranchers, the Alberta Conservation Association, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development and the Prairie Conservation Forum.
How do participating ranchers see it?
“They are really easygoing and they are reliable,” said Bayot Britschgi, who manages the 40,000 acre J Bar J Ranch on behalf of owner Martin Krippl.
He has worked with Multisar on two projects and likes the results.
“It seems everything does better when there’s wildlife around,” said Britschgi. “It’s usually an indication of healthy vegetation.”
Multisar worked with him to return a cultivated parcel to native vegetation and on a fencing project that is friendly to antelope and other species.
Both projects served needs on the ranch, Britschgi said. Multisar paid for the seed and he did the seeding for one project.
“We had too much cultivated land for our use. It was more than we really wanted, so it was mainly a management decision.”
Blouin paid a visit earlier this month to inspect the reseeding progress on the 140-acre site.
“This is looking good. It is ready to be grazed,” said Blouin as he knelt in grass beside a young sagebrush plant.
He hopes increased habitat will attract and support sage grouse in this region at the northern edge of the birds’ range.
“Sage grouse is the most endangered species in Alberta. We’re right down to the wire.”
Blouin estimates fewer than 25 birds are left in the province, a figure obtained by watching grouse breeding areas called leks. Numbers have suffered from West Nile virus, an increase in coyotes and sensitivity to oil and gas development.
Sage grouse depend on sagebrush for food and shelter, so more has been planted on this quarter section. Now it’s a matter of watching for results.
Britschgi said he hasn’t seen any sage grouse in recent years, but there are sharp-tailed grouse and more hawks.
“The hawk population really picked up in this area in the last three or four years,” he said.
“I counted over 30 hawks when we were baling. I’ve never seen that before, that many at once. And last week I saw two swift foxes. I haven’t seen any for years and years.”
Swift foxes are considered endangered, and Blouin has never seen one in all his Multisar travels. One of his job’s challenges is to accept uncertainty about whether habitat enhancement achieves the desired results.
An example is a project on Raymond and Bonnie Pearson’s land, where Multisar installed solar stock waterers to keep cattle out of the dugout and encourage more varied vegetation around it.
Numerous burrowing owls were seen on the property last year. This year there are none.
Blouin speculates that something affected the birds on their migration to or from Texas, where they spend the winter. However, no one will ever know for sure.
The owls will have suitable habitat if and when they return, he said.
Blouin approves of the simple and bumpy trail as his truck crawls out of the Pearson pasture.
Sprague’s pipit, a bird species on the watch list, sees road grades as barriers and will avoid any obtrusive road when breeding and nesting.
“The more knowledge we have of the species that are out there, the better decisions we can make,” said Blouin.
Ray Pearson, who runs the 27,000 acre ranch with his wife, Bonnie, said preserving native grass is vital to his operation. One cow-calf pair for every 65 acres is the recommended grazing rate in this dry region. Native grass stands up to the climate.
“Native grass is so superior to anything else for grazing, I think. Cattle just do the best on it. But you have to look after it. Grazing is an important part of sustaining these grasslands.”
Pearson said he’s noticed a plentiful hawk population and welcomes the appearance of swift foxes to help control gophers.
He contacted Multisar several years ago when oil and gas exploration increased on his land.
“I was becoming concerned that they were going to start doing damage to things I didn’t even know were there, like habitat for endangered species,” he said.
Multisar did a complete habitat evaluation of the ranch, identified wildlife and plant species that live there and provided Pearson with a wildlife assessment and management plan complete with large aerial photos.
“They really show a lot of detail,” said Pearson.
The information helped him alert gas and oil companies and direct the methods and timing of their work.
Blouin said ranchers have welcomed Multisar’s range management studies.
“Getting a full-blown range health assessment is a pretty big deal,” he said.
“Many of them would have the knowledge to do it, but not necessarily the time. And there’s a lot of stuff we learn from landowners.”
Exploration of another project site, this one on John Ross’s 60,000 acre ranch, requires nearly a kilometre hike through prairie grass and 32 C heat.
The ranch straddles the Milk River between Manyberries and Onefour, and the cattle tended to congregate along the river where they damaged banks and habitat.
Multisar paid to drill a water well away from the river, drawing the cattle herd to previously undergrazed areas. It also paid for a solar pump and panels and provided water troughs obtained from the Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery at no cost. The rancher built the frame and fencing.
The cattle hanging around the trough scattered swiftly upon seeing people, clearly unaccustomed to two-footed visitors. There is no sound on this still mid-summer day, except the lowing of a cow briefly separated from a calf.
Blouin said he finds ranchers receptive to wildlife habitat projects like this one.
Ownership of the water system reverts to the landowner after five years if management recommendations have been followed.
“We find that they all love wildlife, for the most part, and they want to do their share and help out wildlife,” Blouin said of ranchers.
