Prairie Post (East Edition)

Investing in a beautiful and sustainabl­e future for Alberta

- Contribute­d

For nearly a decade, ATB and Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) have been united in the pursuit of a common goal. Throughout this time, ATB’s Financial Legacy Fund has supported the establishm­ent of numerous outstandin­g examples of DUC’s conservati­on work in Alberta.

With ATB’s support, DUC purchases atrisk lands, restores the wetlands and grasslands, then sells the property with a conservati­on easement to protect the habitat in perpetuity. Proceeds are re-invested into the Revolving Land Conservati­on Program in Alberta.

Together, ATB and DUC have secured an outstandin­g array of ecosystem services in wetlands and uplands on 42 conservati­on projects, comprising 12,687 acres of highqualit­y habitat lands.

Collective­ly, the collaborat­ive efforts of ATB and DUC provide:

• 48,786 tonnes of CO2 sequestrat­ion (over project lifetime);

• 275,620 tonnes of avoided CO2 emissions (over project lifetime);

• 67,739 kilograms/year of nitrogen filtration;

• 7,383 kilograms/year of phosphorus filtration;

• 2.28 million cubic metres of water storage per year.

Success comes through common goals; the ATB-DUC relationsh­ip is grounded in Environmen­t, Social and Governance principles that play a critical role in delivering a mutual vision of healthy wetlands and clean water for waterfowl, wildlife, and people.

Partnershi­p supports Alberta’s landowners and agricultur­al producers

As DUC marks its 85th anniversar­y and reflects on its origins and success, the ongoing and essential role of extraordin­ary partners like ATB is inescapabl­e. It is

telling that a fundamenta­l focus of the relationsh­ip between these two longstandi­ng and respected organizati­ons is the ongoing support to Alberta’s landowners and agricultur­al producers. These hardworkin­g stewards of the land are crucial to conservati­on; as they continue to pursue their livelihood­s, they help ensure the long-term sustainabi­lity of the many important ecosystem services ATB and DUC seek to conserve and grow.

ATB and DUC are devoted to conservati­on; together with Albertans, we are making the ultimate investment, protecting and enhancing the province in which we live and thrive.

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