The ALUS Big Lakes program is a partnership between ALUS and Big Lakes County, a mix of forests, hills, lakes and farmland covering a total area of nearly three million acres. Launched in 2019–20, the ALUS Big Lakes program is located in beautiful west-central Alberta. Primary agricultural products in the county are cattle and grain and oil crops, plus poultry, buffalo and vegetable production.
The County is home to a population of approximately 5,600 people, living in five hamlets and bordering three Métis Settlements and five First Nation communities.
True to its name, Big Lakes County encompasses a number of large waterbodies and their tributaries, including Lesser Slave Lake, Snipe Lake, and Winagami Lake, which drain into three different watersheds: the Athabasca the Mighty Peace and the Lesser Slave.
Not surprisingly, the area is known for its wilderness and outdoor activities, and is home to Provincial Parks, including the Winagami Wildland, Hilliard’s Bay, and Lesser Slave Lake Wildland PPs, as well as important wildlife habitat for fish, waterfowl, moose and grizzlies.
Amidst all this beauty, the ALUS Big Lakes program coordinator works with local farmers and ranchers to help establish ALUS projects that work to address several important environmental issues.
ALUS enhances wetlands and riparian buffer areas, plants trees to boost wildlife, establishes new pollinator habitats, and improves water quality, while also assisting with flood and drought resilience.
ALUS Big Lakes participants receive annual, per-acre payments for the creation of ecosystem services and the management and maintenance of ALUS projects on their land. These projects produce cleaner water, cleaner air and greater biodiversity, including pollinator habitat, for the benefit of everyone in surrounding communities.
For more information, contact the ALUS Big Lakes Program Coordinator.
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News & Events
Announcing two new ALUS programs in Alberta
PRESS RELEASE | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Calgary, Alberta | September 17, 2020 | ALUS Canada announces two new ALUS programs in Alberta ALUS Canada is thrilled to announce the launch of two new communities in Alberta: The ALUS Big Lakes program and the ALUS Two Hills...
ALUS Big Lakes Contact
Shelley Henkel
Assistant Ag Services Manager
Big Lakes County
5305-56 St.,
Box 239
High Prairie, AB
T0G 1E0
[email protected]
(780) 523-5955 ext. 225
SOLENO
Port de Montréal
COVABAR
Agri Conseil Maska
Groupe ProConseils
Julien Pagé
ALUS Montérégie PAC Chair, and 1st Vice-President of the Montérégie UPA Federation
Christian St-Jacques
Farmer and former President, Fédération de l’UPA de la Montérégie
Charles Boulerice
Farmer, and President, Syndicat de l’UPA la Vallée-du-Richelieu
Florent Raymond
Farmer, Hazen-Bleury et de la Barbotte committee
André Mousseau
Farmer and President, Syndicat de l’UPA Vallée maskoutaine
Martin Berger
Farmer andmember of the Pot au Beurre et AgriClimat project committee
Claude Vasseur
Farmer and former Vice-President, Syndicat de l’UPA du Haut-Richelieu
Marie-Laure Marcotte
Agronomist at Groupe ProConseil and member of the Huron River committee
Marcel Comiré
General Manager, COVABAR
Annie Tremblay
Agronomist at Agri Conseils Maska
Renée Gagnon
Executive Director, CIME Haut-Richelieu