• Secure wildlife habitats by targeting existing wetland/upland complexes in the 30+ waterfowl pair and 6+ Northern Pintail pair landscapes through up to 10 conservation agreements with landowners.
• Enhance existing wetland/upland complexes, and create new upland habitat, in the 30+ waterfowl pair and 6+ Northern Pintail landscapes through voluntary projects with landowners that improve grazing management (fencing, watering, deferred grazing) and create new habitat (cropland conversion to perennial forage).
• Influence landowner management of private lands through voluntary stewardship/extension activities such as participation in the Prairie Stewardship Program, landowner field days, and appreciation events.
• Target and direct habitat programs that secure, enhance and create upland habitat adjacent to wetland habitat within the 30+ waterfowl pair and 6+ Northern Pintail pair landscapes by collecting and analyzing productivity information for wetland-associated bird species nesting in various upland patch sizes.

Activities

• Habitat securement through 12 year conservation agreements with private landowners to implement cooperative habitat conservation and enhancement projects.
• Habitat conservation and enhancement including conversion of cropland to spring pasture, establishment of grazing systems, and water development.
• Voluntary stewardship agreements and provision of extension material to private landowners to influence management of native habitats.
• Reconnaissance of the abundance and productivity of waterfowl and other wetland-dependent birds in and around wetlands in 3 habitat contexts: a) cultivated, b) grassed margins and runways, c) larger grassed blocks. Wetlands will be in areas such as the Moose Mountain Uplands and Souris River Watershed that have high predicted waterfowl abundance, high risk to drainage, and where watershed planning is currently underway. This reconnaissance will inform conservation managers regarding the biological and habitat benefits of various approaches to conserving at-risk wetlands.

Specific Habitat Products/Results to be Supported by WHC's Contributions

• Securement and enhancement of 375 acres of native prairie and wetland/riparian habitat and conversion of 590 acres of cropland to perennial forage, with 12 year management agreements.
• Influence 15,300 acres of privately owned native prairie and wetland/riparian habitats through conservation and stewardship activities.
• The number of landowners engaged in each of the activities above will depend on the size of the project and the number of acres involved.

Wetland Habitat and/or Waterfowl Achievements/Benefits

• Benefits to wildlife include the creation of new upland nesting habitats adjacent to existing wetland habitat and concomitant reduction in the risk of wetland habitat loss to drainage, and improved quality of existing wetland/upland habitat complexes through improved grazing management and concomitant reduction in the risk of loss due to cultivation of upland habitat. Landuse is the major driver of wetland loss; once upland habitat has been converted to cultivation wetlands become an impediment to efficient agricultural production. Therefore conversion of cropland to perennial forage reduces the risk of wetland loss; in fact to ranchers wetlands are a valuable asset as they provide a water source for cattle. In turn, producers' decisions to convert upland habitat to cultivation are usually driven by perceived economic benefits. Modifications to a producers' grazing management plan improve the economic as well as habitat benefits, and should conserve upland habitats beyond the duration of the enhancement agreement.
• Waterfowl benefits will be maximized by targeting activities to 30+ waterfowl pair and 6+ Northern Pintail pair landscapes in Saskatchewan, with particular emphasis on the Moose Mountain Uplands and Souris River Watershed.
• Wetland, native prairie and other existing natural habitats will be conserved and enhanced through direct and indirect habitat programming such as grazing management (fencing, watering, deferred grazing), habitat creation (cropland conversion), and stewardship (extension, training, appreciation events).
• Reconnaissance activities will help target and direct delivery of integrated upland and wetland habitat activities so that the region and manner of delivery optimizes benefits to upland and wetland habitats and associated biodiversity.

Relevance to Habitat Planning, Decision Making and/or Management
Project activities are consistent with preliminary recommendations of local watershed planning groups, and through improvements in ecological integrity will benefit them by improving the health of soil, water and biodiversity. The economic interests of landowners will benefit through modifications to their overall farm plan and operation that increase their profitability, sustainability, resilience to drought etc. Other local industry will benefit economically from increased prosperity of local landowners. Sportsmen's and nature groups will benefit through the conservation and enhancement of wildlife populations.

Project Location
Please click here to view the project location/map (pdf file).

Project Contact
For more information on this project, please contact Bob Carles, Vice-President Stewardship, Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, Regina, Saskatchewan.