The Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) has formed a working group to provide input and take part in consultations regarding the Bighorn Country proposal, officials said.
The move comes as the organization recently issued a number of recommendations regarding the plan.
Representing more than 18,000 cattle producers in the province, the ABP advocates on behalf of its members with the provincial government and other groups and organizations.
The Bighorn Country proposal would see the creation of new provincial parks, public land use zones, and recreation areas along the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, including west of Sundre.
The consultation process for the proposal is currently underway, and includes open houses, telephone town halls, an online survey, and stakeholder consultation meetings.
“There are several beef producers that hold grazing leases, permits, or are members of a grazing reserve in the area, and therefore may be impacted, either positively or negatively, by the Bighorn proposal,” ABP officials said on the organization’s website.
“We have formed a Bighorn Working Group to review the proposal, raise any concerns we may have, and participate in the consultation sessions.
“We will be submitting a letter with recommendations for improving the proposal to ensure grazing stakeholder interests are maintained. In addition, we have requested a grazing stakeholder meeting with the government and are currently working out logistics.”
Beef producers have a vested interest in maintaining healthy grazing areas, including in the Bighorn Country region, officials said.
“ABP has been a strong supporter of environmental stewardship and conservation of sensitive rangelands and riparian areas for many years. We have seen how well managed grazing livestock cannot only complement conservation, but also improve the health of rangelands, riparian areas, and forests.
“Grazing disposition holders in the Bighorn have long recognized the value of stewardship and work hard to ensure their leases, permits and grazing reserves are sustainable in the long term.
“There is increased pressure from many users and land use planning is essential for long-term environmental health in the Bighorn area.”
A number of questions remain outstanding regarding the Bighorn plan, the organization says.
“There is uncertainty with respect to specific details about how the Public Land Use Zones will continue to be overseen and by whom, including the development or refinement of grazing management plans, collaboration opportunities with local grazers, and how conflict between users will be mitigated.
“In addition, we are hearing that producers are nervous about long term secure tenure of grazing dispositions and whether leases and permits will continue to be renewed or allowed for transfer.”
Meanwhile, the ABP has issued a briefing note outlining a number of recommendations, including the following (quoted from the note):
• The government of Alberta commit to longterm (20 year) secure tenure of leases, grazing permits, and grazing reserves within the Bighorn area. Longterm security ensures proper management for healthy ecosystem outcomes and conservation.
• The government of Alberta commit to automatic lease and permit renewal based on proper stewardship within the Bighorn area. Permit and lease transfers must also continue to be allowed and seamless.
• Recreation planning and user conflict mitigation plans need to be 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.
• Consider removing the areas from the Bighorn Park and Wildland Park that did not achieve consensus in the North Saskatchewan Regional Plan Advisory Committee recommendations (NSRP-RAC). There will always be opportunity to add these in at a later time when/if concerns are addressed.
• Incorporate the NSRP RAC recommendations for priority planning within the West Country Public Land Use Zone.
• 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.
For more, see the ABP website.
