Last month, the Thrall family reached an agreement with the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Ducks Unlimited to protect more than 54,000 acres of native grassland in southern Alberta that make up the historic McIntyre Ranch through a conservation easement. It was announced that. This makes the ranch the largest preserved private prairie in Canadian history.
McIntyre Ranch was founded in 1894 by William McIntyre, who immigrated from Texas. McIntyre made many visits over the years to tour the country in the spring, summer, fall, and winter. During that time, he observed how the few cows and horses owned by early settlers survived the winter and how fat they were the following fall. After about three years, he decided to locate near McGrath, east of Cardston, Alta. At the time, the land was owned by the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company, who were eager to have settlers purchase the land.
The ranch remained in the McIntyre family until William’s son Billy passed away in 1948. Ralph Thrall, a family friend and employee of the McIntire family at the time, purchased the property. The Thrall family has owned and operated the ranch ever since.
The ranch is currently owned and operated by Ralph Thrall III and his three brothers. It was their group’s decision to commit to a conservation easement on the ranch.
Hear Ralph Thrall III explain how conservation easements came to be and what they mean for existing ranching operations and their families.
At the end of April 2024, a formal announcement was made that an agreement had been signed between the parties to permanently protect the grasslands, wildlife and habitats included in this land. The agreement gives both Nature Conservancy Canada and Ducks Unlimited conservation easements on the property, which prevents future development such as crops, roads, subdivisions, and even wind and solar farms. It is.
Easement discussions began more than 30 years ago, and the Thrall family is proud to have completed the process of protecting the McIntyre Ranch, Thrall said.
William McIntyre Jr. wrote about establishing the ranch in the 1947 edition of Canadian Cattleman magazine. He will understand when he reads it, here.
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