Alberta ranchers reach deal to protect historic landscape

A deal has been reached to protect one of the largest ranches in the Canadian Rockies from development.

The 30,500 acreWaldron Ranch is located on the eastern slopes of the RockyMountains in southwestern Alberta.

A co-operative of 72 Alberta ranchers has entered into an agreement with the Nature Conservancy of Canada that will protect the land against development, subdivision, cultivation or drainage.

Once finalized, the agreement will allow the Nature Conservancy to purchase a conservation easement from the Waldron Grazing Cooperative Ltd.

It could become the largest natural area in Canada ever to be covered by such an easement.