OTHER EFFECTIVE AREA BASED CONSERVATION MEASURES
(OECM)
Don’t let the acronym throw you off. It’s a simple land designation with a huge impact.
What is an OECM?
OECM designations recognize areas
where conservation occurs as a
by-product of management for other
purposes. Can food production and wild
spaces coexist? OECM’s want to
recognize and count the places where
this is already happening. Agriculture
and Conservation share more values
than we may think.
Think of an OECM as an area where
nature may be protected and even
managed, but it’s not a traditional park
or reserve or protected area. It can be
an uncultivated wetland, a forest
managed by local landowners, native
grassland used for ranching or even the
shelterbelt used to tame our cold,
prairie winters.
These places are essential for keeping
our environment healthy and full of life,
and they show that everyone,
individuals, farmers, and whole
communities, play a part in conserving
nature, even in their own backyard.
Why are we doing this?
The Government of Saskatchewan has
committed to protecting 12% of its land
and water as a support to, Prairie
Resilience: A made in Saskatchewan
Climate change strategy. The RLBR is
working hard to support the
Saskatchewan Government’s notable
goals for conservation.
This program is led locally by the
Redberry Lake Biosphere Region in
partnership with The University of
Saskatchewan, Mistawasis Nêhiyawak,
Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and is funded
by Environment and Climate Change
Canada.