New conservation deal to preserve McIntyre Ranch

The 130-year-old McIntyre Ranch located just south of Lethbridge has entered into an historic partnership with two conservation groups. The Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada have joined forces to help ensure the ranch will continue to be protected for many years to come. Video Journalist Micah Quinn sat down with the key players in this significant deal to discuss the details.

The vast McIntyre Ranch covers a total of 22,000 hectares of land.

The Thrall family owns the ranch and have worked closely with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada to ensure there are provisions put in place to protect the ranch’s natural grasslands and wetlands.

The total cost of the project is not being disclosed due to the Thrall family wanting to keep the number private.

Staff from the Nature Conservancy of Canada told us a total of $3 million is needed to complete the project.

McIntyre Ranch is also home to over 100 wildlife species including 13 species at risk.

According to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, our country’s grasslands continue to disappear due to land conversion, with nearly 60,000 hectares lost every year, including an estimated 10,000 hectares annually in Alberta.

As of now, around 26 per cent of native prairie grasslands remain in our province.