SDG COUNTIES, Ontario - Local property owners looking to create, enhance or maintain grassland habitat projects on their land can apply to the Raisin Region Conservation Authority (RRCA) for funding at up to 100 per cent of project costs, thanks to a new grant opportunity available through a partnership between the RRCA and Grasslands Ontario.
“Natural grassland habitat has diminished in Ontario over time,” said RRCA stewardship specialist, Brendan Jacobs. “We have also recorded a decline in the population of grassland-dependent species, such as the bobolink and eastern meadowlark, both of which are now considered species-at-risk in Ontario.”
Jacobs invites local property owners interested in undertaking grassland projects to apply to the conservation authority for funding online at rrca.on.ca/Grasslands or by contacting info@rrca.on.ca or 613-938-3611. To be eligible, projects must have a minimum field size of 10 acres, a minimum width of 200 metres, and be in the RRCA’s watershed jurisdiction in eastern Ontario.
“Planting, seeding, tending, or enlarging native grasslands, controlling encroaching vegetation, rotational grazing, and delayed haying are all activities which could be eligible for funding,” said Jacobs.
Besides providing habitat for threatened bird species, grasslands can offer other ecological benefits, such as providing pollinators with steady sources of nectar, mitigating the effects of climate change by capturing and storing atmospheric carbon, and supporting biodiversity by offering habitat, shelter, and food to a wide range of species.
“This grassland funding incentive complements other RRCA stewardship programs designed to enhance forest cover, improve water quality, mitigate the effects of flooding and erosion, and conserve and restore sensitive ecological habitat,” said Jacobs.
The deadline for submitting applications through the RRCA is Sept. 16, 2024. For more information visit rrca.on.ca/Grasslands or contact (613) 938-3611 or info@rrca.on.ca.