Landowner Habitat Program

Privately owned lands in Alberta have a significant role in sustaining healthy wildlife and fish populations. There are approximately 65 million acres of private land in Alberta and over 52% of this land has been cultivated (The Western Producer, 2013). Private lands that have not been cleared or excessively altered provide a variety of natural habitats for wildlife. Protecting these natural habitats, including forest, wetlands, and native grasslands, help maintain threatened ecosystems. 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. We currently manage 37 LHP agreements across the province, which conserves approximately 6,710 acres (2,715.5 ha) of important wildlife and fish habitat.

Partnerships

Government of Alberta, landowners

Annual Summaries

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