McIntyre Ranch in Alberta becomes first to verify grassland carbon credits under Canada protocol

A 55,000 acre native prairie in Cardston County, Alberta has become the first property to complete carbon credit verification under the Climate Action Reserve Canada Grassland Protocol. The McIntyre Ranch, owned by McIntyre Ranching Co. and managed by the Thrall family, now sits under a permanent conservation easement that blocks plowing and conversion to cropland. Auditors from SCS Global Services verified the project for The Climate Trust, confirming the credits reflect avoided soil carbon loss. The deal took more than two decades of negotiation with Nature Conservancy Canada and Ducks Unlimited Canada. It is now the largest agricultural conservation agreement in Canadian history. With this addition, The Climate Trust's grassland portfolio covers over 250,000 acres across 15 projects. The verification is a test case for whether large landowners in Western Canada and the northern Great Plains can turn grassland protection into a repeatable carbon revenue stream.