New 1,600-acre parcel, along with previous easements in the Porcupine Hills, will form a 4,700-acre block
The Nature Conservancy of Canada plans to add nearly 1,600 acres of land in Alberta’s Porcupine Hills region to its portfolio of protected lands along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.
The latest addition of land west of Claresholm, Alta., along with previous easements in the Porcupine Hills, will form a 4,700-acre continuous block for conservation and ranching with nearly 20,000 acres protected in the region in total.
NCC spokesperson Sean Feagan said the Porcupine Hills are a high priority for the organization as the Eastern Slopes are home to a rich diversity of wildlife.
“This property is pretty unique in that it is a transition zone between the mountains and grasslands, right where the Great Plains hit the foothills — specifically, it’s along the east edge of the Porcupine Hills,” he said. “Any time you have a transition zone, there is a lot of biodiversity, you get lots of different habitats.”
The exact location of the easement and the owner of the property as well as other specifics of the deal to protect the land for future grazing aren’t being released.
However, Feagan said the property has been identified as falling within a priority one conservation region and includes limber pine, one of two tree species listed as endangered in Alberta, as well as native grasslands.
Populations of limber pine have been affected by an introduced fungal pathogen and this specific stand will add to research into finding genetically resistant trees.
“We hope by conserving this stand that someday down the line, we can support those efforts with the permission of the landowner,” said Feagan. “At the very least, we’re helping to conserve an existing stand.”
It’s not just limber pines that will be protected.
“There is very little human disturbance on the landscape, the landowner has done an excellent job of managing over the years,” said Feagan. “It’s just this big tract of grasslands. That’s one of the main reasons it came out of this analysis as priority one.”
Trout Creek runs through the property, which still supports westslope cutthroat trout closer to the headwaters. Feagan said the water course represents the eastern range of the endangered fish species.
“I think conserving the surrounding landscape is important to any future efforts to restore populations of westslope cutthroat trout,” he said, adding the creek has also sustained bull trout.
Feagan stressed the role of ranchers in protecting such sensitive rangeland over decades.
“Sustainable ranching is what has maintained these natural landscapes. These operations are the reasons we still have these native grasslands in Alberta,” he said. “We see working with ranchers as integral to our operations, to our work conserving natural landscapes in Alberta and ensuring that the forces that resulted in the maintenance of these landscapes is the utmost priority.”
The conservation easement will ensure the property remains a working cattle ranch while restricting development and conversion rights on the land in perpetuity.
