Working Together for Prairie Conservation...
The Saskatchewan Prairie Conservation Action Plan
(SK PCAP) Partnership brings together 30 agencies and organizations representing producers, industry, provincial & federal governments, environmental non-government organizations, research and educational institutions working towards a common vision of prairie and species at risk conservation in Saskatchewan. The SK PCAP Partnership has proven to be an important forum for guiding conservation and management efforts within Saskatchewan's Prairie Ecozone as it:
- increases communication and collaboration amongst partners, thereby reducing duplications;
- addresses gaps in native prairie research/activities and programming;
- guides the development of programs and policies that reward sustainable use and promote ecological health and integrity including species at risk recovery;
- and improves public understanding of native prairie and species at risk.
A Sustainable Partnership
Partners work with a diverse mix of stakeholders to deliver conservation activities, benefiting the cultural, economic & ecological fabric of Saskatchewan. New partners & stakeholders are invited to join the Partnership on an annual basis. Key and unique to this partnership is the collaboration with the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association (SSGA), a non-profit entity, that provides a Chair and a Representative to the Partnership as a means to recognize the critical importance of the ranching community to the conservation of native prairie, and to emphasize how central the concept of a working landscape is to the vision of the PCAP Partnership. A number of the Partners provide financial or in-kind contributions toward the PCAP administration and all of them contribute to the realization of the Partnership objectives.
The SK PCAP Partnership recognizes the importance of partnerships beyond Saskatchewan borders including within Canada and internationally, as this allows for consultation on common issues and sharing of resources, experiences and solutions for best practices. The PCAP Partnership liases regularly with the Alberta Prairie Conservation Forum, and others on the Transboundary Grasslands Partnership as well as the Central Grassland Roadmap. PCAP has also liased with various groups since its initiation, including: Alliance for the Grasslands - Initiative for the Conservation of the South American Southern Cone Grasslands in Argentina, Carolinian Canada Coalition in Ontario, Conservation of Grasslands of the Chihuahuan Desert (ECOPAD) in Chihuahua, Mexico (was modelled on PCAP) ECOPAD 2007 (English on Page 6), the Grasslands Conservation Council of British Columbia, the Grassland Foundation in Nebraska, US, and the Temperate Grasslands Conservation Initiative (TGCI).
2019-2023 Framework
Following the completion of the 2014-2018 PCAP Framework, SK PCAP's fourth consecutive plan, the 2019-2023 PCAP Framework was revealed during 2019 Native Prairie Appreciation Week. This 5-year Framework is a long-term plan for action upon which Annual Workplans are built. The framework incorporates SK PCAP's Vision, Mission and Guiding Principles for the Partnership. Focus groups develop, implement and report/revise on deliverables outlined in the Annual Workplans, with the SK PCAP Manager facilitating the activities under the Framework.
