Current Environment
Sea buckthorn was originally imported into Canada from Russia as early as 1938, primarily as an ornamental plant. It was later widely used in farmstead shelterbelts, in land reclamation, wildlife protection and improvement and to control soil erosion. The plant's hardiness, low to zero nutrient and pesticide requirement, adaptability to the extreme prairie climate and its ability to promote growth of pine trees and poplars make it one of the best suited plants for conservation purposes. From an environmental perspective, sea buckthorn production fits well into Agriculture Canada's Agriculture Policy Framework goal of improved environmental responsibility. Since 1982, it is estimated that more than one million seedlings have been distributed for use in prairie conservation programs.

The largest concentration of sea buckthorn plants is the result of a habitat improvement initiative at the Rafferty wildlife mitigation project, located near Estevan, Saskatchewan. Since 1989, over 50,000 sea buckthorn shrubs have been planted. The population is estimated to have grown significantly since then through colonization by suckering.

Farmstead shelterbelts are used in the Prairies as a shelter against winds and can lower energy costs, reduce noise and filter pollutants. In 1995, 59,000 sea buckthorn plants, equalling 70 kilometres of trees, were planted on farms for shelterbelt purposes and an additional 78,000 plants were planted in fields to prevent soil erosion and improve soil quality.

More recently, in Saskatchewan and British Columbia, seeding of sea buckthorn orchards has taken place in anticipation of consumer demand and commercial processing. Sea buckthorn associations , such as the British Columbia Sea Buckthorn Growers Association are sources of additional information.