The Prairie Habitat Joint Venture is a partnership between governments, organizations, and conservation groups in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in Canada. It is one of four Canadian habitat joint ventures operating as part of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, and is contiguous with the Prairie Pothole Joint Venture in the United States.

Structure

The joint venture is administered via an advisory board consisting of members from the following government agencies and independent organizations:

Funding

By 2005, the Prairie Habitat Joint Venture had received $641 million in funding from several sources.

Purpose

The program's focus areas are the prairie and aspen parkland of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta. The Peace River parkland region in northeastern British Columbia is also a primary conservation target. Additional programs administered by this venture include the conservation of the western boreal forest ecology in the Taiga Plains, Taiga Cordillera, Boreal Cordillera, Taiga Shield and Boreal Plains.

Activities

The venture has secured land through various programs. By 2005, a total of 3642042 acre had been secured, of which 475856 acre were permanently secured via acquisition, land donation, conservation easement, or Crown land transfer; 800808 acre were in stewardship; and 2365378 acre are in the scope of various agreements, including leases, conservation agreements, and land use agreements. Approximately 55% of the required funding projected in 1989 has been received and allocated to various programs in order to secure 9800000 acre of land identified by provincial implementation plans to be within the scope of this venture. Three partnership programs with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have led to the conversion of agricultural and environmentally sensitive land to perennial cover, consistent with the goals of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. A marsh monitoring program is under development, and will be implemented once adequate long-term capital and operational funding has been secured.