Production, protection and potential for co-benefit: Evaluating the Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands program in southwest Saskatchewan from the perspective of producers

The Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA) and the South of the Divide Conservation Action Program Inc (SODCAP Inc.) received funding from Environment Canada’s Species at Risk Partnerships on Agricultural Lands (SARPAL) initiative. They developed programs to deliver the SARPAL initiative to farmers and ranchers in the Milk River Watershed in southwestern Saskatchewan. I will interview producers engaged in the project to gain an understanding of the experiences they have had with the program over the last four years, and use this research data to evaluate program success, identify challenges and opportunities to improve the program, and inform the development of future programs to achieve multiple goals of supporting species at risk on agricultural land, climate change adaptation and agricultural productivity nationwide. The partner organization SODCAP Inc., as well as the SSGA, will benefit from a timely evaluation of the SARPAL initiative from the perspective of the producers who participated in the program. This research data will inform the next phase of SARPAL.

Faculty Supervisor:

Lael Parrott

Student:

Partner:

The South of the Divide Conservation Action Program Inc

Discipline:

Earth science

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

The University of British Columbia - Okanagan

Program: