Nature Conservancy of Canada completes conservation of Alberta's Waldron grasslands with King Ranch

Nearly 14,000 hectares of Alberta grassland is now protected from future development thanks to the addition of the King Ranch to the Waldron Conservation Project.

The acquisition is the largest conservation easement in Canadian history meaning the ranchers who own the landretain grazing rights, but won't cultivate it, subdivide it or drain the wetlands.

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The Waldron lands areabout 80 km southwest of Calgary, situated along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

The area is an important watershed and animal wildlife corridor forbears, cougars,elk, mule deer, hawks, eaglesand moose.

"So the entire basinis nowconserved as one large working ranch," said Larry Simpson, associate regional VP for theNature Conservancy of Canada (NCC).

Wealthy brothers held pants up with twine

The propertywas previouslyowned by brothers and lifetime bachelors Harrold and Maurice King, who lived together in alog cabin on the ranch for more than half a century.

Calgary Eyeopener7:08Nature Conservancy of Canada on the importance of preserving the King Ranch grasslands

We hear about the Nature Conservancy's latest coup an additional of the King Ranch to the Waldron Conservation Project to protect southern Alberta's grasslands.

The King brothers were multimillionaires, butyou wouldn't know it.

"If you saw them in the town of Pincher Creek during the 60s, 70s or 80s they would almost look homeless," said Simpson.

"Binder twine for belts and hair going in every direction.They were highly intelligent and well-mannered but you didn't have any sense that they were some of the wealthiest ranchers in southwest Alberta."

Protection through government, conservationists and cowboys

A group of ranchers, called theWaldronGrazing Co-operative, owntheWaldronRanch the property adjacent to the King Ranch.

In 2014, theNCC paid$15 million for aconservation easementon theWaldronRanch. That gaveWaldronshareholders thepurchasing power to buy theKing Ranch for $11.5 million.

ThNCC thenpurchased an additional easement on the King Ranch,valued at $5.4 million.Provincial and federal funding covered$2.3 million of that easement.

Therest was donated by theWaldronshareholders.

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener