Rural Residential Stewardship Program

Support for Small Landholdings

Are you an acreage owner within the Biosphere who wants to implement stewardship practices that conserve and protect the valuable natural assets, such as air, land, water, wildlife, associated with your property? We can help.

Funding for Stewardship Projects

Launched in April 2023, and with funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada and support+resources from the Green Acreages program, the Beaver Hills Biosphere is accepting applications from small acreage, hobby farm and recreational property owners to fund cost-shared, eligible stewardship initiatives on their properties.

Eligibility: To be eligible for funding under this initiative, your acreage, hobby farm or recreational property must be within the portions of Lamont, Beaver, Strathcona, Leduc and Camrose Counties that are within or not more than six miles outside of the Beaver Hills Biosphere (BHB) boundary. Refer to the Beaver Hills Biosphere Story Map.

Funding: Eligible projects may be funded on a 25-75 cost-share basis up to a maximum of $4500 per project (i.e., property owners must contribute 25% in cash or in-kind value). Applicants are welcome to seek funding from other sources/other grants but cannot apply for Green Acreages WRRP funding for the same project.

Types of Projects: Cost-share projects must help restore and/or enhance wildlife habitat and connectivity in the Biosphere. For example:

• Wetland enhancements, such as enhancing riparian and upland vegetation associated with wetlands
• Riparian zone enhancements through planting and buffers
• Use of native species in planting initiatives
• Restoring/enhancing native plant communities, including forested and meadow or prairie areas

If you have questions about the rural residential stewardship program or this application form, please contact the program coordinator, Milena McWatt at milena@landstewardship.org or 780-483-1885 extension 222.

Apply online today.