A new conservation agreement with a landowner in Southeast Saskatchewan means that Nature Conservancy of Canada is now helping to protect, in perpetuity, over 489,000 acres of ecologically sensitive land across the province. Spokesperson Anja Sorensen says NCC signed an agreement for 455 hectares of land from Clint and Jody Blyth and Ducks Unlimited also has an agreement for 772 hectares. In total it’s just over 1,200 hectares or around 3,000 acres. She explains that conservation agreements are standard practice. They work with the landowners to ensure the property is preserved. This particular piece of land is in the Moose Mountain area.

Sorensen says it’s in the Aspen Parkland Eco Region which is a mix of grassland and forest, and Pipestone Creek runs through it. This diversity brings with it a great diversity of plants and wildlife as well. Some of the priority species that could be found there are loggerhead shrikes, bobolink, and northern leopard frogs.

Pipestone Creek runs through Southeast Saskatchewan and crosses into Manitoba, running into Oak Lake and then the Souris River system. Sorensen explains that there is a lot of human activity around the creek with man-made dams, roads, and input from adjacent croplands and livestock operations. She says NCC is excited to have the opportunity to preserve natural habitats along the creek where native grasslands can filter runoff, mitigate floods and droughts, and sequester and store carbon.