Landowner Habitat Program

Privately owned lands in Alberta support a variety of natural habitats for wildlife including forest, wetlands, and native grasslands. These important habitats for wildlife continue to disappear as the need for more agricultural and municipal growth increases. Additionally, oil and gas development often lead to habitat loss or fragmentation. The Landowner Habitat Program (LHP) was initiated to help conserve key habitats and reduce habitat loss and fragmentation on privately owned land. The program provides incentives for landowners who are willing to sign a legally binding agreement to retain habitat for a term of five to 20 years; a condition of the agreement is for landowners to provide reasonable public foot access. Participants in this program are acknowledged with a project sign and provided with Use Respect – Ask First signage to display along the perimeter of their property. ACA staff complete annual inspections to ensure landowners are complying with the requirements of their agreement. We currently manage 37 LHP agreements across the province, which conserves approximately 6,715 acres (2,717.4 ha) of important wildlife and fish habitat.

Partnerships

Alberta Environment and Parks, landowners

Annual Summaries

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