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Grassland Stewardship Agreements
Manitoba Habitat Conservancy
Photo: Manitoba Habitat Conservancy
Program Summary
Manitoba Habitat Conservancy's (MHC) Grassland Stewardship Agreement (GSA) provides cost-shared financial support to beef producers for Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) that ensure benefits to wildlife and biodiversity, particularly species at risk. An agreement is signed outlining the BMP infrastructure that MHC will support the installation of.
Program characteristics
Province
Manitoba
Natural Features
Native Grasses, Species-at-risk Habitat
Agriculture Type
Rangeland / Pasture
Program Scope
Regional/Local
Conservation Approach
Species-At-Risk Protection
Incentive Type
Payment for Practices / Conservation / Credits, Technical Advice
Delivery Agent Type
NGO
Commitment Type
Infrastructure Installation, Management Agreement
Commitment Term
Short Term (1 to 10 years)
Program web site
Conservation Goals
The conservation goals of the program are improve grass quality and maintain healthy habitat for at-risk species.
Eligible Lands
Eligible lands are rangelands in the project area, which includes Poverty Plains, Lyleton Grasslands, Blind Souris River Valley, Belleview and Maple Lake Region areas of Manitoba.
Additional Details
The applicant should be a Beef Producer in Manitoba, in need of infrastructure improvements and/or seeking information on grassland management on their summer pastures.
An agreement is signed outlining the project and the infrastructure that MHC will support.
A payment to the landowner is made after the project is completed and the infrastructure is installed
Commitment
The landowner and MHC agree that the cost-shared infrastructure will stay in place or be utilized for a period of 10 years.
Incentive
Cost-shared incentives will be funded up to $13,000 per quarter-section, to a max of $50,000 per landowner.
Some examples of the incentives and/or services for which funds could be used are:
Fencing that supports improved grazing,
Watering systems designed to improve cattle distribution,
Management of woody, invasive plants encroaching on grasslands (shrubbing),
Established additional pastures that help to relieve grazing pressure on native rangelands,
Native pasture establishment
Contact Information
For more information contact Carol Graham, MHC Habitat Conservation Specialist at 204-821-4943 (cgraham@mbhabitat.ca) or see the fact sheet on the Manitoba Beef Producers' website https://mbbeef.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/23MHHC3827-Fact-Sheets-Grasslands.pdf
Important to Know
The Landowner is responsible for installing the infrastructure as part of the project. The landowner's contribution to the project is the work to install the infrastructure.
Grazing plans may change; Manitoba Habitat Conservancy will support a landowner to evaluate and modify the grazing plans as required.
Manitoba Habitat Conservancy has completed research to determine an accurate valuation for the BMPs. The payment is primarily for the reimbursement of infrastructure materials.