Alberta establishing a Rangeland Grazing Framework

(Kara Oosterhuis/RealAgriculture)

Alberta’s government says its Rangeland Grazing Framework recognizes the role ranchers play in managing Crown rangelands. The new framework is intended to provide clarity on how grazing fits in to integrated land management of public land leased or permitted to ranchers for grazing livestock.

“Our ranchers have long been stewards of our rangelands, and their input into the creation of this framework and their ongoing efforts with land management are important to supporting livestock production, maintaining healthy ecosystems and creating economic prosperity,” says Todd Loewen, Alberta’s Minister of Forestry, Parks and Tourism.

Alberta has more than eight million acres of grasslands, forests, riparian areas and wetlands on Crown land that can be used to graze livestock.

The Rangeland Grazing Framework also provides the agriculture industry with the continued opportunity to use the forage production of the rangelands for grazing while keeping biodiversity top of mind, the province says.

‘The framework supports the important work of ranchers to sustain and enhance the function and productivity of Crown land rangeland ecosystems in a way that promotes biodiversity and ecological goods and services,” the province says in a release.

About 14 per cent of Alberta’s beef herd relies on Crown land for grazing.

The framework will support existing land use rights of leaseholders and recreationists and places greater emphasis on current legislation and policy, the province says. The Rangeland Grazing Framework sets out a process for involving leaseholders when proposed land-use changes are being considered.

For the full discussion document on the framework, download the PDF here.

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