
Birds Canada and the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation (SSGF) have launched the Bird-friendliness Index Incentive Pilot Program.
This new pilot program aims to address the needs of birds, biodiversity, and the people who make a living on the land by using a conservation model that will address the decline of grassland bird populations.
“Every year, we continue to lose thousands of hectares of grasslands, and with it the disappearance of thousands of homes for grassland birds and other wildlife,” Kiel Drake, Prairie Region Director at Birds Canada said through a press release. “This exciting project will implement a novel, innovative approach that can address the threats to grassland birds at scale and with the urgency that is required.”
The grasslands of the Canadian Prairies are among the most endangered ecosystems on the planet and have faced massive losses due to the conversion of grasslands to croplands and urban areas. In its recent publication, the State of Canada’s Birds found that grassland birds that rely on these unique habitats, have experienced a devastating 67% population decline in Canada since 1970.
Drake said that without immediate action some of these grassland species will disappear from Canada.
“The science clearly shows the urgent need to address grassland bird declines. This innovative new project, supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), will develop a new and durable conservation approach to help keep unique grassland birds, such as the Chestnut-collared Longspur from disappearing from the Canadian Prairies,” reads the Birds Canada press release.
The project will expand the Integrated Monitoring in Bird Conservation Regions (IMBCR) program, on the Canadian Prairies in a bid to strengthen hemispheric collaboration on grassland bird conservation.
“This collaboration between the SSGF and Birds Canada will reward Saskatchewan land stewards that are working to not only maintain but improve rangeland health on native grasslands. Healthy rangelands directly support grassland bird habitat and furthermore, support ranchers living on this landscape. These grasslands are the heart of the ranching community and will incentivize landowners for their dedication to stewardship,” Brant Kirychuk, General Manager, Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation said in the press release.
A crucial part of this project is the Bird-friendliness Index (BFI). This is a biodiversity indicator, originally developed by the National Audubon Society and adapted to the Canadian Prairies by Birds Canada, that clearly measures and communicates the contributions farms and ranches make to bird conservation. This pilot program will combine long-term conservation agreements with the BFI to reward ranchers in Saskatchewan for conserving grassland birds and their habitats.
This pilot project will be executed by establishing a 15-year Habitat Management Agreements designed to improve habitat conditions for grassland birds, or Restoration Agreements to restore cropland to native grass.
When ranchers and community pastures sign these agreements with SSGF, they are then eligible to participate in the BFI Incentive Pilot Program, which will offer ranchers incentive payments based on their BFI scores, rewarding positive outcomes for grassland birds.
Birds Canada is a national charity dedicated to bird conservation while the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Foundation is committed to preserving Saskatchewan’s native grasslands and the wildlife that they support.
The release also added that the Bird-friendliness Index Incentive Pilot Program is also supported by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Northern Great Plains Program.