In the late 1800s, settlers began to graze cattle on native grasslands, beginning what eventually became known as the “range wars” in the United States, says Brett Matthiessen of Alberta Grazing Leaseholders Association (AGLA) in this interview with RealAgriculture’s Amber Bell.
This access and competition for grazing eventually produced a few really great Western movies, but long before then ended up creating conditions that contributed to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.
Not wanting to replicate the same conditions in Canada, the Dominion Lands Act was created to encourage settlement and grazing of Canada’s grasslands under a leasing system of Crown land, says Matthiessen.
Fast forward to today where 5.2 million acres, or about five per cent of Crown land in Alberta is still operating under grazing leases. While acquired similarly to deeded land, the grazing rights of these properties come with certain obligations to the government including creation and maintenance of infrastructure such as fencing, water development, and corrals, Matthiessen says.
The grazing leases are monitored and administered by range agrologists that report to the Department of Parks and Forestry and seek to keep Crown grasslands from being overgrazed and maintain healthy riparian areas, explains Matthiessen.
Grazing leases can be found and purchased much in the same way as other properties, through realtor firms, auctions, and gifted to family members, says Matthiessen. For more information, visit the AGLA website or the Alberta government’s Parks and Forestry page on grazing leases.
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