The Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) association has made an extensive submission to the province regarding the Bighorn Country proposal, including recommendations for modifications to the plan.
The Bighorn proposal would create a number of new parks, include the Ya Ha Tinda Provincial Park west of Sundre, as well as new public land use zones (PLUZ).
The province gathered public and stakeholder input on the plan through open houses, an online survey, meetings with some stakeholder groups, and written submissions.
The ABP made its submission on Feb. 15, the final day for such input.
The ABP represents 18,000 beef producers in the province. The association says there are about 270 beef producers in the Bighorn Country area who hold grazing leases, permits or are members of a grazing reserve.
The ABP’s three-page submission, obtained by the Gazette last week, includes a number of recommendations such as the following (quoted from submission):
• The GOA (government of Alberta) commit to long-term (20-year) secure tenure of leases, grazing permits, and grazing reserves within the Bighorn area. Long-term security ensures proper management for healthy ecosystem outcomes and conservation.
• The GOA commit to automatic lease and permit renewal based on proper stewardship within the Bighorn area.
• Delay final implementation of area boundaries and designations until proper recreation, user conflict mitigation, and area land use plans are developed in consultation with grazing disposition holders.
• Allow for new temporary or shorter-term grazing permits within the Bighorn Wildland Park for brush control and improvements to the park’s rangeland health.
• Allow for commercial forestry as a forest encroachment control and fire management tool within the Bighorn Park and Bighorn Wildland Park. This will ensure grazing lands are maintained or improved for wildlife within the park boundaries and will mitigate migrations of ungulates, and predators who follow, onto agricultural private and lease lands.
• Ensure grazing reserves, leases, permits, and the PLUZs are overseen by public lands and their rangeland resource managers and scientists, in collaboration with grazing disposition holders.
• Any new or updated grazing management and riparian management plans must be developed with grazing disposition holders to ensure best management practices are practical and have mutual desired outcomes.
It is vital that the province ensure continued engagement with leaseholders as recreational management plans are developed, and understand leaseholder concerns, manage and reduce conflict, said ABP chairman Charlie Christie.
“We are pleased to see the government of Alberta’s commitment in the draft Bighorn proposal and particularly the PLUZ to honour all grazing leases, permits, and established grazing reserves and that there will be no change to the administration of grazing leases and permits within the Bighorn proposal,” said Christie, who farms outside Trochu.
“We strongly support continued long-term, secure grazing disposition tenure in the Bighorn area as well as continued administration by Alberta Environment Rangeland Agrologists on those grazing dispositions.
“We also appreciate that the Recreational Access Regulation would still apply within the PLUZs, however there may be increased pressure for greater access to grazing reserves and leases for recreational opportunities.”
The perceived speed of implementation of the Bighorn proposal, “without developing the management plans with stakeholders prior to release of the proposal, is further adding to stakeholders’ discontent,” he said.
Meanwhile, Alberta Environment and Parks officials are now reviewing the public engagement information gathered since last fall, including the results on the online survey.
The province will “incorporate feedback from the engagement” and “further consultation on recreation and land management planning, such as trail use and location, will be completed if we proceed,” the department said on its website.
Approval of “management intent for parks, protected areas, and public land use zones in Bighorn Country” will occur in the spring of 2019, the site states.
Calls to the department seeking followup information were not immediately returned.
