Sask. grassland protections get $6.5M bump from Stock Growers Foundation

Grasslands National Park was named a hidden gem for camping by Scouts Canada.

Protections for Saskatchewan’s dwindling grasslands are receiving a boost following the extension of a long-running partnership.

The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation (SSGF,) in partnership with the Weston Family Foundation, have agreed to a $6.5 million commitment over five years – meant to support conservation programs and strengthen the resilience of prairie landscapes.

According to the SSGF, native grasslands are among the most endangered ecosystems across the globe, with less than 20 per cent of Saskatchewan’s grasslands remaining.

“Canada’s prairie grasslands are some of the most ecologically valuable and threatened ecosystems in the world, and we have a responsibility to protect them for future generations,” Christian Bauta, chair of the Weston Family Foundation, said in the announcement.

“There’s no singular solution. These are working landscapes and protecting them means supporting a range of long-term solutions that reflect the realities of the people connected to the land; their knowledge, their livelihoods and their long history of stewardship.”

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The majority of the SSGF’s efforts since 2020 have been focused on southwest Saskatchewan. The increase in funding will allow the organization’s outreach to expand to the rest of Saskatchewan’s farmlands.

The funding will allow the organization to implement projects such as the Bird-friendliness Index (BFI) Incentive Program, while improving ongoing efforts such as the Term Conservation Easement Program

and the SSGF Habitat Management Agreements.

“This partnership supports not just native grasslands, but also the ranching families and local communities that depend on them,” SSGF President Kelcy Elford said in the announcement.

“With demand for our programs growing year after year, it’s clear SSGF fits with what ranchers and landowners are already working toward, keeping these grasslands healthy and intact for the next generation.”