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Transboundary Grasslands Partnership

2021 Transboundary Grasslands Partnership Workshop

Global Vision : Local Action

The 2021 TGP Workshop was held online. For those that missed it or those that need to view the sessions again they are recorded and can be found below.

AGENDA

Tuesday, October 19th, 2021 – Global Vision
Welcome, Transboundary Grasslands Partnership (TGP) History and Present – Kevin Ellison, TGP Chairperson

Central Grasslands Roadmap – A Collaborative Conservation Strategy
Tammy VerCauteren, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies and Christian Artuso, Canadian Wildlife Service (Environment and Climate Change Canada)

The science and technology behind USDA NRCS’s first–ever grassland biome conservation framework – Dirac Twidwell, University of Nebraska

Prairie Partnerships: The Pan–Canadian Approach to Transforming
Species at Risk Conservation – Rachel Turnquist, Conservation Coordinator, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada


Wednesday, October 20th, 2021 – Local Action
Welcome
Montana: Ranching, Conservation and Communities – A Winning Team! – Martin Townsend, Ranchers’ Stewardship Alliance

Saskatchewan: Conservation Challenges of Native Grasslands in Southwest Saskatchewan – Diego Steinaker, South of the Divide Conservation Action Program

Alberta: Grassland Capital X: A Conservation Market Pilot
Western Stock Growers’ Association


Thursday, October 21st, 2021 – Indigenous Perspectives
Welcome

Montana: The Path Back: Bison Restoration at Fort Peck Reservation in Montana, Dennis Jorgenson, Bison Program Manager, World Wildlife Fund and Northern Great Plains Program and Jonny BearCub Stiffarm, Fort Peck Tribes

Saskatchewan: Witaskîwin (Allyship) Through Conservation
Philip Brass, Anishnabek / Nêhiyewak Artist, Hunter and Ceremonial Knowledge Carrier from the Peepeekisis Nêhiyewak Nation and Kristen Martin, Assistant Conservation Science Coordinator, Nature Conservancy of Canada

Alberta: Iinnii Rematriation Bio Monitoring
Alvin First Rider, Environmental Technician, Blood Tribe Land Management and Justin Bruised Head, Blood Tribe Land Management

Background:

In 2016, Alberta Prairie Conservation Forum initiated the Transboundary Grasslands Partnership recognizing that the environment doesn’t respect human boundaries. Watersheds, wildlife, air quality, invasive species…all parts of the environment transcend multiple boundaries on any given landscape. These boundaries are real and can impact the environment and our human objectives for it, especially at the edges of jurisdictions.

Alberta partners proposed  joint workshop to explore the interest for a broader transboundary partnership with Montana and Saskatchewan.  Objectives of the first workshop included:

  • Becoming familiar with the broad scope of work and accomplishments of large landscape conservation transboundary collaboratives.
  • Reviewing the status of existing transboundary grassland initiatives with a focus on successes, challenges and outcomes.
  • Discussion around existing jurisdictionally‐based environmental, land use and natural resource management priorities and challenges. Identify potential topics where new or enhanced transboundary collaboration may result in better outcomes.
  • Confirm interest in pursuing additional topical transboundary issues or a broad grassland transboundary large landscape collaborative.

Previous Transboundary Grasslands Partnership Workshop   Transboundary Grasslands Partnership Terms of Reference

Vision:

Working collaboratively to sustain healthy transboundary native biodiversity and the supporting grassland ecosystems and communities.

Mission:

The Transboundary Grasslands Partnership (TGP) is a voluntary collaborative partnership working towards native grasslands conservation. The TGP will provide a forum where transboundary jurisdictions and sectors work collaboratively to conserve and enhance native grassland landscapes. The partnership will operate under three guiding principles:

  • Enhance: the health and function of native grasslands, by building on successes and challenges and awareness amongst the partners,
  • Create:  working towards collaborative actions that address gaps in transboundary native grassland conservation, and
  • Connect: acknowledging and improving transboundary communications, relationship building, education, cooperation and messaging between partners, Tribes and First Nations and interested organizations and individuals.

The Transboundary Grassland Partnership holds core team monthly meetings to maintain communications across jurisdictions. The Transboundary Grassland Partnership workshop is held annually and the location of the workshop rotates between Alberta, Saskatchewan and Montana.

Project Area

Transboundary Grasslands Resources

Member Organizations

Member OrganizationJurisdictionWebsite
Alberta Prairie Conservation Forum SocietyAlbertawww.albertapcf.org
Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action PlanSaskatchewanwww.pcap-sk.org
South of the Divide Conservation Action PlanSaskatchewanwww.sodcap.com
Alberta Environment and ParksAlbertawww.alberta.ca/environment-and-parks.aspx
Milk River Watershed Council CanadaAlbertawww.mrwcc.ca
United States Fish and Wildlife ServiceMontanawww.fws.gov
The Nature ConservancyMontanawww.nature.org/en-us/
American Bird ConservancyMontanaabcbirds.org
Pheasants ForeverMontanawww.pheasantsforever.org
World Wildlife FundMontanawww.worldwildlife.org
Blood Tribe Land ManagementAlbertabtlands.com
Alberta Wilderness AssociationAlbertaalbertawilderness.ca
Piikani Lodge Health InstituteMontanawww.piikanilodge.org

Northern Great Plains

The Northern Great Plains spans more than 180 million acres crossing 2 Canadian provinces and 5 American States. It is one of only four remaining intact temperate grasslands in the world.

The TGP is one example of a grassland partnership that collaborates with other jurisdictions; other partnerships include:

Prairie Pothole Joint Venture
The Prairie Pothole Joint Venture is a partnership among federal, state and non-governmental organizations with a common interest in advancing wetland and grassland conservation for birds. It formed in 1987 as one of the first bird habitat Joint Ventures in the United States.

Grasslands Road Map Summit

This is a collaborative guide to increase conservation of North America’s Central Grasslands, which span 500 million acres across Indigenous Lands, Canada, the United States and Mexico. By bringing together 8 diverse sectors, (Indigenous communities and Nations, province and state-level agencies, industry, private land owners/managers/producers, academia, non-governmental organizations, foundations, and federal governments of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico), the Roadmap identifies common principles and collaborative priorities for the many people and organizations living, working on and influencing the Central Grasslands.

For more information about the Northern Great Plains check out the World Wildlife Fund

Alberta

In southern Alberta, native grassland and watershed initiatives include:

  • the Government of Alberta’s South Saskatchewan Regional Plan
  • Prairie Conservation Forum’s Prairie Conservation Action Plan
  • Milk River Watershed Council of Canada’s transboundary State of the Watershed report and watershed management plan
  • Grassland Restoration Forum

Check out this list of many more grassland partners in Alberta

Montana

Montana’s Northern Great Plains encompass some of the largest most significant grasslands remaining in the United States.

Click here for a list of Montana’s Partners in Grassland Conservation

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan

The PCAP Partnership represents the collaborative efforts of multiple interests toward promoting and conserving Saskatchewan’s native prairie. The PCAP Partners work together to deliver innovative and critical prairie conservation activities that represent the shared objectives of a diverse mix of stakeholders and that benefit the social, cultural, economic and ecological fabric of Saskatchewan.

Monthly Newsletters

Grassland Partners in Saskatchewan

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