The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association has awarded its Environmental Stewardship Award to Miles and Sheri Anderson of Fir Mountain, Saskatchewan.
The Anderson’s ranch provides habitat for more than a dozen federal species at risk and provincially rare species.
They were recognized for their management efforts on the portion of their operation that provides habitat for the endangered sage grouse and other species at risk.
The grazing lease portion of this operation lies between two parts of Grasslands National Park and is bounded on the south by the Montana border and has been in their family ranching operation for multiple generations.
Habitat on Mr. Anderson’s lease land has become of significant interest to federal and provincial wildlife agencies since it is one of the last privately managed areas to still support the declining population of sage grouse in the province.
Over the past couple of years Mr. Anderson has worked with conservation organizations to ensure the timing and intensity of livestock grazing provides key habitat attributes necessary for the survival of these species.
Source : CKRM