Red Deer County landowners doing conservation work will benefit from a new initiative adopted by council on Tuesday.
Conservation Partners is a program that allows individuals, groups or businesses to donate funds directly to on-the-ground conservation work.
Members of council have already kicked the program off with personal donations.
There are three categories included in the program: tree planting, water quality conservation, and fish and wildlife habitat preservation.
The county has been approved for $25,000 in funding for the program through the Alberta Conservation Association. Another $45,000 has been budgeted for the county for best management practices projects, including marketing and promotions and staff time.
Landowners may also be eligible for annual payments through the county’s partnership with Delta Waterfowl, a U.S.-based duck conservation and research group that has its Canadian headquarters in Winnipeg.
Through the Prairies-focused Alternative Land Use Services program, landowners can be eligible for payments for their efforts in preserving clean water and wildlife habitat.
The latest initiatives follow other programs that have encouraged landowners to adopt best management practices.
The Riparian Fencing Initiative and Off the Creek Program saw 87 projects completed by 64 landowners to protect natural areas. More than 1,700 acres of riparian and native range areas, 438 acres of wetlands and lakes, and more than 40 km of river and stream were improved by the programs.