One of Canada’s oldest working ranches will be protected as a result of a conservation agreement with the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
The 900-hectare Oxley Ranch in the southern Alberta foothills is owned and operated by Jennifer Barr and her family.
The ranch was established in 1882 and will still function as a cattle operation.
The agreement prevents cultivation of grasslands, drainage of wetlands, subdivision and land development.
The property has one of the last pieces of relatively intact fescue grassland in Alberta.
It is estimated that less than five per cent of such grassland remains in the country, making this area one of the most threatened regions of Canada.
The family retains ownership of the property with an obligation to long-term conservation.
It is an ongoing legally binding contract even if ownership changes.
“This land is our family’s legacy. It’s been my personal sanctuary for my entire life. I have a great appreciation for what my grandmother, my aunt and my stepfather all sacrificed to hold on to this ranch,” Barr said Tuesday.
“I have always felt a great responsibility to care for it, to preserve it, for future generations.”
“Combined with the protected Crown lands, this important grassland habitat will continue to supply habitat to native plant and animal species and provide an important wildlife corridor along Alberta’s eastern slopes,” added Bob Demulder, Alberta vice-president of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
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