Don’t let the acronym throw you off. It’s a simple land designation with a huge impact.
OECM designations recognize areas where conservation occurs as a by-product of management for other purposes. Can food production and wild spaces coexist? OECM’s want to recognize and count the places where this is already happening. Agriculture and Conservation share more values than we may think.
Think of an OECM as an area where nature may be protected and even managed, but it’s not a traditional park or reserve or protected area. It can be an uncultivated wetland, a forest managed by local landowners, native grassland used for ranching or even the shelterbelt used to tame our cold, prairie winters.
These places are essential for keeping our environment healthy and full of life, and they show that everyone, individuals, farmers, and whole communities, play a part in conserving nature, even in their own backyard.
The Government of Saskatchewan has committed to protecting 12% of its land and water as a support to, Prairie Resilience: A made in Saskatchewan Climate change strategy. The RLBR is working hard to support the Saskatchewan Government’s notable goals for conservation.
This program is led locally by the Redberry Lake Biosphere Region in partnership with The University of Saskatchewan, Mistawasis Nêhiyawak, Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and is funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada.
This project is funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada
