On January 3, 2023, the province announced they will provide five years of funding to the CACP. (Photo 5679078 © Fallsview | Dreamstime.com)

By Christian Oldale

Alberta providing five years of funding for Carnivores and Communities Program

Jan 3, 2024 | 1:41 PM

WATERTON, AB – The provincial government is providing funding to help prevent human-wildlife conflicts in southern Alberta.

In a media release, the province said residents of southwestern Alberta have raised concerns regarding growing grizzly bear, black bear, wolf and cougar populations, and how they affect the local farms and communities.

Since the 1980s, the Waterton Biosphere Reserve Association has been running the Carnivores and Communities Program (CACP), aimed at promoting peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife in the Waterton Biosphere Region.

The program works with locals to manage dead livestock and bee yards, and secure facilities for grain, feed and garbage to keep the animals away from the population.

Initiatives under the CACP include the Deadstock Removal Program, on-farm carcass composting, and electric fence installation, among others.

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On January 3, 2023, the province announced they will provide five years of funding to the CACP. The investment will total $700,000, with a $160,000 contribution in 2023-24 and $135,000 annually for the following four years.

Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen said, “Coexisting with wildlife, including large carnivores, is an everyday part of living and working in rural Alberta. The Carnivores and Communities Program is making a difference for farmers, ranchers and landowners in the Waterton Biosphere Region and this investment will help protect humans, wildlife and infrastructure.”

The CACP had been receiving a series of single-year and multi-year grants since 2009. The last three-year grant agreement ended on March 31, 2023.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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