Photo: Zoe Ferguson
Since 2011, the Trust’s Grassland and Rangeland Enhancement Program has been helping people maintain grassland and rangeland resources on Crown land in the Basin. The Trust is now pleased to announce that, over the next three years, it will contribute $900,000 to the program, and the Province of BC will contribute an additional $250,000.
“We know that grassland and rangeland ecosystems are diverse and important parts of the environment in the Columbia Basin,” said Johnny Strilaeff, Columbia Basin Trust President and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re proud to be helping Basin residents take active roles in the stewardship of this resource.”
Delivered by the Kootenay Livestock Association, the program funds projects that do at least one of the following:
- Promote stewardship of the grassland resource on eligible rangelands.
- Maintain and enhance biodiversity and long-term fish and wildlife productivity.
- Improve management practices that optimize the distribution of livestock and wildlife.
- Maintain and enhance compatible uses of eligible lands for grazing by livestock and wildlife, and facilitate access for the general public.
- Develop and promote the use of innovative strategies to achieve the program’s goals.
Ranchers, for example, can use the funding to build fences, install cattle guards and make other improvements on Crown land.
Read the full news release here. Learn more about the program here.
