Grazing co-op, NCC combine to conserve historic ranch

In the heart of Alberta’s cowboy country, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) and the Waldron Grazing Co-operative are once again partnering to conserve a historic ranch — and are seeking support to help bring the project across the finish line.

“Our partnership with the Waldron is a powerful example of what we can achieve together with a shared vision, and we’re excited about this latest project,” said Larry Simpson, director of strategic philanthropy for the NCC.

“The significance of Bob Creek Ranch goes beyond its size — it fills one of the last remaining gaps in a vast network of conserved working lands across this iconic and mostly intact landscape. This is a chance for people to make a difference by helping to conserve an incredible part of Canada that inspires anyone who experiences it.”

Located just off Highway 22 — the famed Cowboy Trail — Bob Creek Ranch is a critical piece of Alberta’s conservation puzzle.

Spanning more than 2,400 acres, the property is notable not only for its size, but for its strategic location between provincial protected areas like Bob Creek Wildland Park and Black Creek Heritage Rangeland, and privately conserved lands such as the Waldron and King ranches.

Conserving Bob Creek Ranch will help create a contiguous block of more than 100,000 acres of conserved and protected lands within the headwaters of the South Saskatchewan River watershed.

It will also secure permanent connectivity between the Livingstone Range of the Rocky Mountains to the west and the Porcupine Hills to the east — a vital corridor for game species such as elk and deer, and threatened species like the grizzly bear.

Bob Creek Ranch is as beautiful as it is varied.

At its highest elevations, sandstone outcrops are interspersed with gnarled, endangered limber pine, as golden eagles fly overhead. Bob Creek and another stream flow through the property, which is also bordered by the Oldman River — together, these waterways support native sportfish.

Between the creeks and ridgetops lie rolling fescue grasslands — one of Canada’s most threatened and least protected ecosystems, home to an incredible array of species, including stunning wildflowers such as arrow-leaved balsamroot.

This conservation project marks the next chapter in a made-in-Alberta success story — one built on collaboration between ranchers and conservationists.

It began in 2013 with the conservation of the 13,000-hectare Waldron Ranch and continued in 2015 with neighbouring King Ranch.

The Waldron Grazing Co-operative, made up of nearly 80 ranching families, owns and manages the land as part of a sustainable ranching operation — demonstrating that conserving working landscapes and supporting economic prosperity go hand in hand.

“The Waldron Grazing Co-op was formed in 1962 by a group of farmers and ranchers to allow its shareholders to gain access to this amazing property, bring their livestock here, and sustain or grow their operations,” said Frank Welsch, board chair of the Waldron Grazing Co-operative.

“The Waldron has found a very beneficial partnership with NCC to ensure that these lands will remain just as they are; a beautiful range where cattle and nature can thrive.”

The project was designed in two phases. Thanks to NCC supporters, the first phase is now complete.

“Continuing this partnership with the purchase of the historic King Ranch and now with the purchase of the Bob Creek Ranch, more native prairie will be conserved,” Welsch said. “Not only is it a benefit to the shareholders who are gaining access to more grazing, it’s a win for the entire population and community of Alberta and Canada to know that this land will stay just as it is today; a home to an abundance of wildlife, both animal and plant species, along with cattle to maintain the grasses it produces.”

NCC is encouraging all who want to see Bob Creek Ranch remain beautiful and intact to support efforts to conserve Alberta’s disappearing prairie grasslands. Visit prairiegrasslands.ca to get involved.