Historic Alberta ranch now among the province's protected grasslands

A significant plot of land in southwestern Alberta is the latest addition province's conserved grassland habitats.

Bectell Ranch, a 323-hectare property near Police Outpost Provincial Park south of Cardston, is to be conserved through a partnership between the property owners and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).

The Bectell's history with ranching goes back over 100 years, and the historic property will now contribute to ongoing efforts to protect Alberta's unique grasslands.

Close to 80 per cent of the now-conserved land is Prairie grasslands, and it will continue to function as a grazing grounds for cattle.

A release from the NCC explains how grazing contributes to the health of grasslands.

"When properly managed, their grazing behaviour approximates the historic actions of bison. Many species need shorter grass to survive, while others need longer grass. This disturbance, along with fire, helps maintain the health of grasslands and creates diverse habitats for many plants and animals."

The release states that some of the species sharing the land are listed under Canada's Species At Risk Act, including ferruginous hawk, grizzly bear, horned grebe and American badger, as well as a plant listed under the act, the Western blue iris.

Jeff Bectell was quoted, stating he's proud to contribute to the greater effort to conserve these kinds of ecosystems.

"These grasslands have been here for thousands of years, and if we take care of them, they will continue to benefit wildlife and people. Our family would never want to see this property subdivided and turned into acreages. We're pleased to know our land will remain intact and continue to be managed in the way we have done for generations."

Close to 2,900 hectares of land in the area are now under conservation.

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