Conservation Site Management
ACA’s Conservation Site Management (CSM) Project currently manages 387 conservation sites and 11 conservation easements, which include over 220,000 acres (approximately 89,000 ha) of titled and Crown land in Alberta. The CSM Project is responsible for ongoing management and enhancement of these sites; activities are guided by site-specific management plans. In 2021/22, our field activities and contracted work were impacted again this year by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, our field staff completed inspections and maintenance tasks on 177 sites. Our team also completed habitat enhancement projects on 49 conservation sites, including restoration by seeding 34.5 acres to native and tame grass species, planting 160,900 trees and shrubs, planting 22 acres of food plots for upland game birds, installing and modifying fencing to facilitate wildlife movement on nine sites, and removing garbage and anthropogenic structures on five sites. Recreational access enhancements were completed at eight sites, including construction of foot access gates and bridges, development of a new parking area, and clearing new foot trails. We installed new project signs on six conservation sites and replaced project signs on three sites. Staff provided recommendations on 32 land use referrals and 125 public inquiries. We also managed public access on one high-use conservation site through a reservation system. Further, we continued discussions with Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) representatives to determine long-term partnership roles and responsibilities at conservation sites on Crown land that ACA manages. Our success in managing and enhancing conservation sites is achieved through a collaborative effort with a growing number of partners and volunteers throughout Alberta.Partnerships
Alberta Environment and Parks, Alberta Fish & Game Association (AFGA), AFGA Minister’s Special Licence Program, Bow River Irrigation District, Clearwater County, County of Newell, County of Warner, Cows and Fish, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Eastern Irrigation District, Environment and Climate Change Canada, HUVAN Construction, Grey Wooded Forage Association, landowners, Lethbridge County, Municipal District of Greenview, MULTISAR, Nature Conservancy of Canada, Pheasants Forever – Calgary and Chinook Chapters, Project Forest, Red Deer County, Shell Foothills Legacy Fund, Tree Canada, Trout Unlimited Canada, volunteer stewards
Annual Summaries
| Title | Year | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation Site Management and Maintenance | 2007-2008 | 3 |
| ACA Conservation Site Management Plan Development | 2007-2008 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2008-2009 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2009-2010 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2010-2011 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2011-2012 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2012-2013 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2013-2014 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2014-2015 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2015-2016 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2016-2017 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2017-2018 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2018-2019 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2019-2020 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2020-2021 | 3 |
| Conservation Site Management | 2021-2022 | 3 |