A new conservation site outside Waterton Lakes National Park has been announced by the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).
The 255-hectare site will be added to the over 13,000 protected conservation land that sits approximately 10 kilometres south of Twin Butte
Tom Lynch-Staunton, Regional Vice-President of the Nature Conservancy of Canada says that making this land a conservation site will ensure it continues to be a habitat.
“Waterton Lakes National Park is renowned for its incredible wildlife, but these species rely on an area much larger than that park itself throughout the year. By conserving this property, we are ensuring it will continue to offer habitat and safe movement routes for these incredible animals, while also being available to the livestock of local ranchers for grazing,” they add.
The NCC says the new site will help to act as a corridor or movement pathway for different wildlife in the area, including a large population of Elk. The pathways and corridors provide a safe route for wildlife to move between habitats which will help to ensure the long-term survival of populations and help benefit the ecosystem.
The conservation site is compromised of two separate land areas, each one supports important habitats like fescue grasslands, forests, wetlands and riverside ecosystems along the Waterton River. These are important habitat areas for the American badgers, bobolink, and horned grebe, which are all of special concern.
This conservation project was made possible thanks to funding from the Government of Canada, through the Natural Heritage Conservation Program, part of Canada’s Nature Fund.