SALTS
2nd Floor, 309 1st Street W PO Box 45016 T1V 1R7 High River, AB, Canada

Happy Wildlife Wednesday! Today we highlight Alberta's only native turtle - the Western Painted Turtle! Did you know we had a native turtle in Alberta? The population is small and sightings are uncommon, so do not feel bad if you did not know! The western painted turtle can live to well over 50 years old if they can get through their infancy. With no shortage of hungry predators and no care from their parents once they have hatched, few young turtles survive to become adult...s. The Western Painted Turtleso called because of its brightly coloured shell, head, and limbsare relatively large-bodied painted turtles with adults reaching up to 25 cm in carapace (dorsal shell) length. The subspecies has a distinct bright orange plastron (ventral shell) with a complex pattern of reticulated black lines. During the winter, the Western Painted Turtle retreats to the murky depths of a body of water that does not freeze to the bottom. Here they hibernate buried in the muddy bottom, breathing through their skin. With this recent run of frigid weather, no doubt they are hiding well below the surface! Western Painted Turtles have been observed at Lee Lake and Beauvais Lake in southwest Alberta. SALTS has conservation easement partnerships in the surrounding areas of both of these waterbodies. #WildlifeWednesday

Wildlife Camera Highlight! Species: Moose (Alces alces) Alberta Wild Species Status: Secure Habitat: Moose are found throughout the wooded areas of Alberta, and the ungulates do especially well where there is an abundance of deciduous browse. Burns, logged areas and willow flats provide optimum habitat in the boreal forest and mountain areas of the province. In the mountains and foothills of southern Alberta, hillsides of aspen and willow are noticeably preferred by Moose.... Check out these curious critters documented on a SALTS conservation easement property. Stay tuned for our Wildlife Camera updates coming every month as we highlight the variety of species that call private lands in Alberta their home. #conservation #southernalbertalandtrust #wildlifecamera

Well said Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association!

Friday Field Views #TGIF #southernalbertalandtrustsociety #conservation

Happy Wildlife Wednesday! Today we highlight a "dinosaur" of the waters - the Lake Sturgeon! A relict of the dinosaur age, possessing no teeth, calcified bones or scales. The lake sturgeon is a living fossil that has retained many of its primitive morphological characteristics. Sturgeon-like fossils have been dated to approximately 100 million years ago. The lake sturgeon has survived a history of overharvest, habitat disturbance and population fragmentation. Highly valued ...for both flesh and eggs, lake sturgeon have been overexploited since the initiation of significant commercial fisheries in 1860. Declines as a result of overfishing have been compounded by the effects of dams and other environmental disturbances. Life history characteristics including delayed maturity, longevity and low reproductive output increase their susceptibility to decline. Today, sturgeon are harvested on the South Saskatchewan River whereas the North Saskatchewan River is a catch-and-release fishery. #wildlifewednesday

Happy Wildlife Wednesday! Today we highlight one of Alberta's popular game bird species - the Sharp-Tailed Grouse! Round and chicken-like with long and pointed central tail feathers and a small, slightly crested head. Barred in brown, black and buff colors. While facial strips behind eye and along cheek. Males have purple skin patches on their neck during courtship displays (as seen here). ... One of North America’s spectacular dancing grouse species, the Sharp-tailed Grouse gathers at open display grounds known as leks on spring mornings. Females watch intently as males bend low to the ground, raise their pointed tails skyward, and stamp their feet so fast they become a blur, all while inflating purplish air sacs to make quiet cooing noises. The rest of the year, these plump birds forage in grasslands, open fields, bogs, and forest or woodland, where they take to the trees to nibble buds and berries. Our friends at MultiSAR provide some guidance on what YOU can do as a landowner to help conserve this important species; - Maintain woody areas, especially along stream banks and draws. - Minimize pesticide use, especially around leks, nests and water bodies. - Use zero or minimal tillage to leave cover and food for grouse. - Use flushing bars on haying equipment to avoid killing wildlife. - Do not approach known leks or nests within 500m between March 15 and July 15. - Seed low yielding land or abandoned cultivation back to native grasses or to permanent cover for use as a tame pasture. For grazed land: - Create variability in each pasture or between adjacent pastures. A range of grass heights and litter cover is desirable. - Avoid grazing on native prairie between March and mid June. - Restrict grazing in woody and riparian areas by fencing off or using salt blocks and watering sites to attract livestock elsewhere. - Allow periods of rest after grazing. - Optimize forage use by adjusting stocking rates based on precipitation, time of use and range condition. - Base rotational systems on available forage instead of scheduled calendar dates. - Monitor and maintain records of range condition, in and out dates, areas that need rest and areas that are untouched. SALTS partners with private landowners to conserve native grasslands for Alberta's sensitive wildlife species. #wildlifewednesday

All the benefits of conservation easements can easily translate into retirement planning tools. Landowners can obtain significant tax benefits through granting a conservation easement, including a tax receipt that is viable for 10 years through the Ecological Gifts Program. Landowners can also receive a cash payment based on the Conservation Value of their property and the applicable tax receipt they are approved for. The sale of your property can lead to a significant capit...al gain, even if you are eligible for the one-time $1,000,000 capital gains exemption for qualified farm property. The donation of a conservation easement on one part of your land, for example, can help offset the capital gains payable after the sale of the rest of your land. It also leads to great peace of mind knowing that the land you stewarded will have its productive capability guaranteed after your retirement. Conservation easements can also be used as an estate planning tool. On death, income taxes can be 46%, or higher depending on your provincial tax rate. Even if you are eligible to roll the land over to your spouse, he or she may face those taxes on death. Heirs can be forced to sell part or all of the property to pay those taxes. There is, again, no assurance that the land will continue to be stewarded as you have taken care of it. A conservation easement can help by reducing the value of your taxable estate, and by ensuring that the land will retain its agricultural productivity. As well, you can make a provision in your will for a conservation easement to come into effect on your death. This will help offset the income taxes that might be payable at that time. Be sure you understand all the implications of waiting until your death for a conservation easement to be granted. For example, if the land is sold prior to your death, the gift of a conservation easement in the will lapses. A will can also be challenged, with the possible result that anything which reduces the value of the estate (like a conservation easement) is disallowed. As mentioned before, the process of granting a conservation easement can take up to a year or years. If you are certain that you want to put a conservation easement on our land you may want to have your will modified to ensure the procedure will continue through your executor in the event of your death. A similar precaution can be taken through enduring power of attorney to safeguard the process in the event of your incapacity. Like most aspects of conservation easement agreements, their use as retirement or estate planning tools can be quite complicated. Talk to your lawyer, tax advisor and estate planner to understand the implications for you.

Prairie landscapes and their primary inhabitants have shifted dramatically over the past 100 years. Before their extirpation, plains bison were a keystone speci...es in the grasslands ecosystem, grazing, dispersing seeds, and aerating the soil. In some places cattle have taken up this role, and when sustainably managed can help to maintain healthy prairie ecosystems. Follow the link to learn more about the State of the Prairie http://www.albertapcf.org//state-of-the-prairietechnical-r