Endangered grassland near Neepawa to be protected

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This article was published 21/11/2024 (674 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BRANDON — Roughly 440 acres of protected grassland on the Langford Escarpment, southeast of Neepawa, have been acquired for use as a nature conservancy.

The Harper family partnered with the Nature Conservancy of Canada to make the project a reality.

“That the property is donated and conserved for the benefit of nature seems the most fitting way to honour my family and the land,” said Judith Harper.

The conservancy said the project is a high priority for grassland conservation and the economy. It looks forward to continue the property’s grazing management with local partners such as livestock producers. The goal is to get the grasslands to flourish.

The family donated 25 per cent of the value of the land for conservancy, and the rest was purchased with funding from the federal government.

The acquisition “will ensure a continued future for many wildlife species in the area,” such as moose, elk, black bear, grouse, wood duck, blue-winged teal and red-tailed hawk, the conservancy said.

Several species at risk rely on many habitats on the property, the conservancy said, such as the red-headed woodpecker and common night hawk.

Other natural habitats on the property include oak savanna, aspen and oak forest, creeks and basin wetlands.

The Harper family homesteaded on the southern Manitoba property in the early 1900s and fostered several generations of family members, the conservancy said.

“Families like the Harpers, and partners like the Association of Manitoba Community Pastures, are just a few of the people responsible for the existence of grasslands in Manitoba today. We are honoured to be a part of this story and look forward to continuing to move forward for a better tomorrow,” said Josh Dillabough, natural area manager at the conservancy.

The Langford Escarpment is one area identified as part its action plan for Prairie grasslands; the strategy aims to conserve more than 1.2 million acres by 2030.

— Brandon Sun