Red Deer County among recipients of provincial rangelands project funding

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“Alberta’s rangelands are vital to the agricultural industry and the province’s landscapes,” says Tara Sawyer, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, and MLA for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills.

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$1.4 million

Red Deer County among recipients of provincial rangelands project funding

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“Farmers and ranchers depend on these lands for high-quality feed for cattle, sheep and other grazing livestock, livestock production and to reduce reliance on harvested feed during the grazing season. This investment will help continue research and extension efforts for our rangelands’ future productivity and preservation.”

2025-26 funding recipients

• Alberta Conservation Association
• Alberta Invasive Species Council
• Municipal District of Ranchlands
• Peace County Beef and Forage Association
• Red Deer County
• Rocky Mountain Forest Range Association
• Southwest Alberta Sustainable Community Initiative
• West Central Forage Association
• Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation of Canada

As for Red Deer County, it is receiving $151,500 for work involving livestock producer education and extension, according to a fact sheet.

The three-year project will facilitate the adoption of electric fencing use for rotational grazing through multiple extension events and equipment cost-sharing with an ALUS partnership.

The project will utilize range health assessments and annual photo monitoring. It will target 80 per cent adoption rate of practice, and 80 per cent participant enrolment in ALUS, with 200 acres impacted.

According to Red Deer County Conservation Manager Ken Lewis:

Red Deer County’s RSP-funded project is the “Rest Easy Project”, and it is being delivered as part of our long-term ALUS initiative.

• With the Rest Easy Project, ALUS Red Deer County is looking to work with farmers/ranchers in Red Deer County who wish to enhance hard-to-manage areas of their rangelands using temporary electric fencing as a grazing management tool
• “Hard-to-manage” areas in rangelands in Red Deer County include wetlands and streams, forests, hills and steep slopes. Temporary electric fencing can be an excellent tool for our farmers and ranchers with these kinds of areas on their operations.
• The Rest Easy Project will reduce the financial barrier of using temporary fencing in these areas by providing cost-sharing and “try-before-you-buy” opportunities to our farmers/ranchers who want to use temporary electric fencing in this way.
• The Rest Easy Project will help measure ecological and agricultural outcomes of the work our farmers and ranchers do by conducting Range Health Assessments at fencing sites.
• Our goal is at least 80% of the farmers/ranchers who try out temporary electric fencing as a tool for “hard-to-manage” areas, end up enrolling those acres into ALUS, for long-term ecosystem services production.
• Farmers/ranchers in Red Deer County who want to learn more about the Rest Easy Project and ALUS, can contact Ken Lewis (Red Deer County Conservation Manager) at 403-505-9038 or klewis@rdcounty.ca

A full listing of funding recipients and their projects is available here.