| Summary: | The loss or alteration of wildlife habitat is currently the leading cause of wildlife depletion in the Canadian prairies. The majority of the human population in the Prairie Provinces is concentrated near the United States border where much of the wildlife habitat has been lost or dramatically altered. Conservation agreements are one tool that can more permanently conserve land in its natural state, through either partial or complete restrictions on land use and development. Conservation agreements involve landowners voluntarily entering into binding agreements with conservation agencies that place certain restrictions on the way land is used. Conservation agreements are an important private land conservation option that can be used in combination with other conservation tools to provide long-term protection of land on the agricultural landscape. Today, conservation agreements are the most widely used tool for private sector land conservation in the United States. In Manitoba, The Conservation Agreements Act was proclaimed in 1998 by the Legislature and came into force in 1999. The Act now enables conservation organizations like the Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Ducks Unlimited Canada, the Nature Conservancy of Canada and the Manitoba Habitat Heritage Corporation to enter into conservation agreements that can provide protection of land in its natural state in perpetuity. The objective of the study was to establish guidelines for conservation agencies in Manitoba on baseline documentation, monitoring, and ensuring compliance with the terms of conservation agreements...
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