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STONY PLAIN, Alberta, Sept. 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Alberta Professional Outfitters Society (APOS) is pleased to open the intake for grant applications for the 2025-26 Ministerial Special License Auction (MSLA) Program. The MSLA program seeks projects that make a significant contribution in Alberta to:
- Enhancing and maintaining wildlife populations and their habitats,
- Addressing identified knowledge gaps about wildlife populations and their habitats,
- Produce information that has practical applications for wildlife management, and/or
- Apply innovative approaches to improve the effectiveness of wildlife management.
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In addition, the MSLA Stakeholder Advisory Committee has indicated several areas of focus for the 2025-26 funding year. Although applications will be accepted beyond these areas, the Committee has a special interest in projects aimed at:
- Identify and improve habitats that support target wildlife.
- Develop techniques and capacity to assess population size, wildlife demography, and vulnerability to anthropogenic threats.
- Advance understanding and prevention of wildlife diseases, with particular interest in M. ovi.
Funding for the MSLA Program is generated through the delivery of Ministerial Special Licenses (MSLs), which provide a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for hunters to enjoy greater flexibility in hunting dates and locations for certain species in Alberta. Special licenses for sheep, elk, moose, mule deer, antelope, turkey and – new in 2025 – whitetail and cougar, available to non-residents by auction through the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) and the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo. Alberta resident programs that match the same species are submitted through a special lottery, with grant funds administered by the Alberta Conservation Association (ACA).
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“As administrators for the MSLA program, we have greatly appreciated the input provided by stakeholders through the advisory and adjudication committees this past year,” said Jeana Schuurman, Managing Director of APOS, “The feedback has been invaluable in refining MSLA’s focus, not only for project targets are useful, but also to streamline the process for review and adjudication. We are excited to see what projects will be implemented in 2025-26.
Grant guidelines and application forms are available online at albertamsl.ca. The application period will close on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. Submissions will be reviewed and evaluated in the spring of 2025. For more information about the MSLA Grant Program and the application process, visit albertamsl.ca or email grants@apos.ab.ca
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