Prairie Parklands

The Prairie Parklands delivery area represents the Canadian extent of the vast Prairie Pothole Region, one of the richest, most diverse and unique wetland/grassland ecosystems in the world.

190.3 Million Acres

Delivery area

12.25 Million

Acres of wetlands

13.5 Million

Breeding ducks
(10 Yr Average)

Breeding Grounds for One Third

of the breeding grounds for continental waterfowl populations

41 Million

Acres of grasslands (native and non-native)

64

Priority Shorebird, Waterbird, and Landbird Species, many in decline

Click here to Download the PHJV PRAIRIE PARKLAND 2021-2025 Implementation Plan (PDF)

Setting of habitat objectives for this iteration of implementation planning was guided by wetland and upland restoration and retention scenarios (direct and policy) that were estimated to achieve the waterfowl hatched nest objective by 2040, and to stop priority landbird population declines by 2035. These objectives account, in part, for projected background changes in land use to 2040, and hence estimate habitat objectives to that date (as described above). Objectives were then scaled back in delivery to the timeframe of this Implementation Plan, 2021–2025. In setting habitat objectives, provincial teams drew on previous experience and achievements, and considered future capacity to arrive at the objectives presented below.

Objectives were first set at the provincial scale before being rolled up to the PHJV-wide objectives reported below (see Appendix 8 for provincial scale objectives). Working at a provincial scale is justified given that many key PHJV partners operate only within their respective provinces. Currently, habitat objectives for landbirds are focused only on retention of remaining grasslands throughout the PHJV delivery area. This includes objectives both within and outside current Waterfowl Landscapes targeting 15% of the 20-year objectives for this five-year Implementation Plan.

Across the PHJV area, a subset of 64 priority Shorebirds, Waterbirds and Landbirds were identified, including 20 species protected under Canada’s Species At Risk Act (SARA). For the first time, we have included quantitative targets for grassland bird habitat conservation.

HABITAT OBJECTIVES 2021–2025, 2040

Five-year (to 2025) and 20-year (to 2040) Habitat Restoration Objectives within and outside Waterfowl Target Landscapes in each province.

PROVINCE/REGION WINTER WHEAT (ACRES) TAME HAY/ PASTURE (ACRES) PLANTED COVER (ACRES) WETLAND (ACRES) NESTING TUNNELS (#)
ALBERTA (2040 OBJECTIVE) 308,000 291,800 0 48,100 0
WITHIN TARGET LANDSCAPES (5-YEAR) 91,000 61,400 0 10,300 0
REMAINING DELIVERY AREA (5-YEAR) 217,000 11,500 0 1,700 0
SUB-TOTAL 308,000 72,900 0 12,000 0
% OF 2040 OBJECTIVE 100% 25% 25%
SASKATCHEWAN (2040 OBJECTIVE) 561,000 1,536,900 20,500 16,500 0
WITHIN TARGET LANDSCAPES (5-YEAR) 211,000 252,000 4,900 3,500 0
REMAINING DELIVERY AREA (5-YEAR) 350,000 132,200 200 600 0
SUB-TOTAL 561,000 384,200 5,100 4,100 0
% OF 2040 OBJECTIVE 100% 25% 25% 25%
MANITOBA (2040 OBJECTIVE) 238,000 178,300 0 9,200 5,000
WITHIN TARGET LANDSCAPES (5-YEAR) 62,000 23,000 0 800 1,200
REMAINING DELIVERY AREA (5-YEAR) 176,000 14,500 0 1,200 100
SUB-TOTAL 238,000 37,500 0 2,000 1,300
% OF 2040 OBJECTIVE 100% 21% 22% 26%
PHJV RESTORATION TOTAL (2040) 1,107,000 2,007,000 20,500 73,800 5,000
PHJV RESTORATION TOTAL (2021–2025) 1,107,000 494,700 5,100 18,100 1,300
% OF 2040 OBJECTIVE 100% 25% 25% 24% 26%
The deployment of nest tunnels is proposed for delivery in Manitoba. Due to their high use and success rates, nesting tunnels are expected to enhance Mallard production in most program areas (i.e., ~60% tunnel occupancy and ~70% nest success).

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 2021–2025: Prairie Parklands

Habitat Retention Objectives – Waterfowl and Landbirds

Five-year (to 2025) and 20-year (to 2040) Habitat Retention Objectives for waterfowl and landbirds.

 

Habitat Retention 2040
HABITAT
OBJECTIVE
(ACRES)
FIVE-YEAR HABITAT OBJECTIVE (ACRES) % 2040
HABITAT
OBJECTIVE
DIRECT
NAWMP
EXTENSION
NAWMP
TOTAL
WETLAND
ALBERTA 798,100 11,900 187,600 199,500 25%
SASKATCHEWAN 286,300 71,600 0 71,600 25%
MANITOBA 142,700 31,800 0 31,800 22%
SUB-TOTAL 1,227,100 115,300 187,600 302,900 24%
UPLAND-WATERFOWL
ALBERTA 511,500 45,900 82,000 127,900 25%
SASKATCHEWAN 1,840,000 410,000 50,000 460,000 25%
MANITOBA 252,200 53,000 10,000 63,000 25%
SUB-TOTAL 2,603,700 508,900 142,000 650,900 25%
UPLAND-LANDBIRDS a
ALBERTA 1,768,700 199,000 66,300 265,300 15%b
SASKATCHEWAN 2,484,800 279,500 93,200 372,700 15%b
MANITOBA 153,300 28,800 9,500 38,300 25%
SUB-TOTAL 4,406,800 507,300 169,000 676,300 15%
a – Upland objectives for landbirds are not additive to upland objectives for waterfowl – delivered acres will be targeted to serve both landbird and waterfowl objectives to the degree possible.
b – 5-year habitat objectives projected at 15% for Alberta and Saskatchewan are considered aspirational to demonstrate the importance and need for grassland birds. However, with current resource and programming levels, a 5% objective for Upland-LANDBIRDS is more realistic.

Setting of habitat objectives for this iteration of implementation planning was guided by wetland and upland restoration and retention scenarios (direct and policy) that were estimated to achieve the waterfowl hatched nest objective by 2040, and to stop priority landbird population declines by 2035. These objectives account, in part, for projected background changes in land use to 2040, and hence estimate habitat objectives to that date (as described above). Objectives were then scaled back in delivery to the timeframe of this Implementation Plan, 2021–2025. In setting habitat objectives, provincial teams drew on previous experience and achievements, and considered future capacity to arrive at the objectives presented below.

Objectives were first set at the provincial scale before being rolled up to the PHJV-wide objectives reported below (see Appendix 8 for provincial scale objectives). Working at a provincial scale is justified given that many key PHJV partners operate only within their respective provinces. Currently, habitat objectives for landbirds are focused only on retention of remaining grasslands throughout the PHJV delivery area. This includes objectives both within and outside current Waterfowl Landscapes targeting 15% of the 20-year objectives for this five-year Implementation Plan.

Across the PHJV area, a subset of 64 priority Shorebirds, Waterbirds and Landbirds were identified, including 20 species protected under Canada’s Species At Risk Act (SARA). For the first time, we have included quantitative targets for grassland bird habitat conservation.

A new decision support tool was also developed to set upland habitat conservation objectives for four priority grassland bird species listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act: Baird’s Sparrow (Special Concern), Chestnut-collared Longspur (Threatened), Thick-billed Longspur (Threatened), and Sprague’s Pipit (Threatened). The tool relies on pixel-based species density models, which provide a link between the amount of habitat across the landscape and population size. With this tool, we were able to set spatially-explicit acre objectives for grassland conservation.

Figure-15
Spatially-explicit grassland retention objectives (red pixels) for four grassland bird Species at Risk. Target grassland pixels represent ~4.4 million acres that are a relatively high priority for these species and at a high risk of conversion to cropland.