Partners & Project Support
The Association of Manitoba Community Pastures has secured several successful partnerships that make new investments into the Community Pastures and advance the environment, health, and forage quality of the lands. Our partnerships highlight the numerous benefits of well-managed prairie grazing lands as we jointly invest in monitoring the health and diversity of the pasture program.
Conservation Trust
The Conservation Trust is a Manitoba Climate and Green Plan Initiative, administered by the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation. AMCP has delivered a number of successful projects thanks to the Trust. See AMCP’s press release highlighting 2021 project activities approved for $325,000 in Trust grant funding here:
Above and beyond 2021 project work, AMCP implemented a range of improvements to enhance grasslands across the Community Pasture network thanks to Trust funding. In 2020, new measures to enhance rangelands included cross fencing, water sources, and brush management controls thanks to $250,000 in Trust funding. With a strong combination of livestock grazing and new investments, over 19,000 acres of rangelands will be more diverse and productive. Project partners conducted wildlife surveys to improve understanding of wildlife occupying the Community Pastures.
Also, in 2020, AMCP completed range health assessments and land management plans at the Bield and Wallace Community Pastures thanks to Trust support. Managing for range health directly benefits Manitoba’s livestock producers with a strong forage supply and reliable grazing services as well as delivers numerous ecological goods and services of grassland ecosystems that benefit all Manitobans.
Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange
AMCP is a member of the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange (CPPFE), an inter-agency collective established to increase capacity for knowledge sharing and training surrounding the use of prescribed fire as a management tool in Canadian prairie and parkland ecosystems. With the support of CPPFE, AMCP is planning to conduct prescribed burn activities in Spring 2022 to manage brush encroachment, prevent future wildfire damage to infrastructure, renew forage for livestock and improve habitat for wildlife.
Federal-Provincial Funding Support
Since 2014 AMCP has received funding support under the Canada-Manitoba government agricultural partnership initiatives - Growing Forward 2 and the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP). Thanks to this support AMCP has transitioned the community pasture program, implemented a variety of projects across the pasture system, notably a brush management program, completed Environmental Farms Plans for all Pastures, and made investments in forage and pasture quality improvements. Growing Forward 2 funding was also used to undertake a report detailing the Ecological Goods & Services of AMCP Community Pastures, worth over $13 million a year. Read more here:
Nature Conservancy of Canada
Over the last four years AMCP and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) have worked together to jointly deliver projects that monitor and improve the biodiversity of prairie grasslands in priority areas. NCC recognizes the importance of the Community Pasture program in supporting the habitat for a number of species at risk and rare grassland birds. NCC has provided funding and staff support for AMCP to undertake a number of initiatives including range health assessments, land management planning and grassland enhancement projects that support native grasslands and incorporate species-at-risk habitat requirements.
Important Bird Area Designation
Thanks to the strong range stewardship of the Community Pastures, AMCP had two Community Pastures designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) in March 2019. Bird Studies Canada, Nature Manitoba and Nature Saskatchewan announced that the Ellice-Archie and Spy Hill-Ellice Community Pastures would form part of a new Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Read more about this designation here: Link caption
Any birders interested in visiting the Community Pastures are to contact AMCP in advance of access.