By The Canadian Press

White Moose Ranch near Calgary protected from development

Oct 11, 2018 | 1:13 PM

CALGARY – About 800 hectares of the White Moose Ranch in the foothills of southern Alberta have been protected from development.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada has signed a conservation agreement with the landowners to restrict development rights on the property, just west of the town of Turner Valley, Alta.

The conservancy says the land, a 35-minute drive southwest of Calgary, is facing pressure from urban developers.

Officials say protecting the area is a priority because it’s one of the last pieces of relatively intact fescue grassland in Alberta.

They estimate that less than five per cent of native fescue grasslands remain in Canada, making the area one of the most threatened.

White Moose Ranch is also near the headwaters region of the Sheep River, which provides fresh drinking water to almost half of all Albertans.