Lethbridge Earth Day event focuses on funding for private land conservation

Environment and Parks Minister Shannon Phillips celebrated Earth Day at the Helen Schuler Nature Centre in Lethbridge.

Phillips focused on the work that is being done to help conserve Alberta’s most vulnerable landscapes.

“Albertans care deeply about their environment,” Phillips said. “As we celebrate Earth Day, the Alberta government is pleased to help fund projects that bring private landowners and land trusts together to ensure that ecologically sensitive areas are protected now and into the future.”

The Land Trust Grant Program supports voluntary conservation of private land. Every year for five years, $15 million will be allocated to support public and private conservation projects.

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“There are a number of private landowners out there who are doing really responsible things and want to conserve some of their land, and with that comes an expense,” Phillips said. “They could sell their land off to be developed or they could hold onto it for future generations, and many landowners want to do that, particularly here in southern Alberta.”

Friday’s announcement follows the 2015-2016 Land Trust Grants, which allocated money to six land trusts, helping to conserve 5,400 hectares of privately owned land. Those grants included:

• Alberta Conservation Association
• Alberta Fish & Game Association
• Ducks Unlimited Canada
• Nature Conservancy of Canada
• Southern Alberta Land Trust Society
• Western Sky Land Trust

“The Land Trust Grant Program has been a game-changer for private land conservation in Alberta,” Southern Alberta Environment and Parks executive director Justin Thompson said. “In only four years, it has helped our organization preserve more than 2,000 hectares (or seven square miles) of Alberta’s most ecologically significant privately owned land.”

The funding for the Land Stewardship Fund was announced under the 2016 provincial budget.