Major conservation agreement preserves 12,000 acres in southern Alberta

CALGARY – The University of Alberta has announced details of one of the largest conservation agreements ever signed in Alberta.

The agreement, which was announced on Monday, guarantees that the U of A’s 12,000-acre Mattheis Ranch in southern Alberta will be conserved forever.

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“I’m pleased that our government can support the work being undertaken by the University of Alberta and Western Sky Land Trust to ensure that the Mattheis Ranch remains an important research centre for generations to come,” said Minister of Environment and Sustainable Resources Kyle Fawcett.

The ranch, located 150 km east of Calgary, is named after Edwin and Ruth Mattheis who donated it in 2010, and has a diversity of ecosystems and habitats.

The conservation easement provides $3.8 million in funding from Western Sky Land Trust to the University of Alberta as compensation against future development.

The University says the funding will be used as an endowment to promote rangeland research.