Environment and Range Stewardship

Thanks to strong rangeland management practices, AMCP Community Pastures provide numerous environmental benefits.  Comprising over 325,000 acres, they represent some of the largest intact areas of remaining prairie lands in Manitoba that also provide habitat for numerous sensitive species and other wildlife.  Managed livestock grazing systems and prescribed burns are the key land management tools to preserve and enhance the ecosystem services of prairie lands.  The Association of Manitoba Community Pastures has secured several successful partnerships that make new investments into the Community Pastures and advance the environment, health, and forage quality of the pasture program lands.

Conservation Trust

Thanks to Manitoba Conservation Trust grant funding, administered by the Manitoba Habitat Conservancy (MHC), AMCP has completed range management improvements throughout Manitoba's Community Pastures, as well as range health assessments and land management planning.  Support from the Trust has been integral to advancing environmental stewardship priorities.  From 2019 to 2023, the Conservation Trust and match funding partners, have committed over $1.4 million for numerous investments throughout the Community Pasture network: over 26 miles of fencing, over 100 water source improvements, 70 cattle crossings, and brush management controls. 

In 2024, the Conservation Trust approved AMCP for up to $275,000 in grant funding for projects that improve grazing management: enhanced water systems,

livestock crossings, fencing, and brush management controls. Read more here:

Established by the Province of Manitoba, Trust funds provide opportunities to improve peoples' connection to nature, enhance wildlife populations and habitats, and address water and soil conservation across Manitoba.  Further details about MHC's support and partnership with AMCP can be found in their 2022 release here:

Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange

AMCP is a member of the Canadian Prairies Prescribed Fire Exchange (CPPFE), an inter-agency collective established to increase capacity for knowledge sharing and training surrounding the use of prescribed fire as a management tool in Canadian prairie and parkland ecosystems. Prescribed burns help to manage brush encroachment, renew forage for livestock, support grassland diversity and improve habitat for wildlife.

Ecological Goods and Services of the Community Pastures

The Ecological Goods & Services of AMCP Community Pastures are worth over $13 million a year, according to a 2018 report led by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).  Read more here: