Public Grazing Leases in Alberta
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A radio collared wolf in Jasper. Note that he is also likely blind in one eye. Photo courtesy of photographer Dieter Kepper.
A radio collared wolf in Jasper. Note that he is also likely blind in one eye. Photo courtesy of photographer Dieter Kepper.
A radio collared wolf in Jasper. Note that he is also likely blind in one eye. Photo courtesy of photographer Dieter Kepper.
Current Grazing Lease Rates:
Since 1994, livestock producers have paid the government $2.79 per animal per month for the best quality pastures and as little as $1.39 for the lesser quality pastures. Despite many reasons for weight loss in cattle, some producers are pushing to be compensated, also, for weight loss in cattle which they attribute to being pursued by wolves. |
Proposed Plan:
There is a potential plan, as proposed by grazing land lease holders, that would phase in rent increases of public land over a five year period (starting in 2015). The Alberta Grazing Leaseholders Association (AGLA) is also advocating that 40% of the rent revenue be funneled back into a "range sustainability fund". This fund would help the AGLA develop education and research projects with similar organizations such as the Western Stock Growers Association and The Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society, more commonly known as Cows and Fish, and efforts would be supported by the government.
Surface Disturbance Compensation on Public Lands:
Photo by Carol Patterson
In December of 2014, there was a report that 130 million dollar had been pocketed by a small number of public grazing lease managers, paid to them by oil and gas companies to compensate for loss of area on the public land. Despite outcry, no change to this longstanding contentious matter came under Premier Prentice. The situation stands: oil and gas companies are negotiating compensation directly with individual grazing land leaseholder and not with the government, on behalf of the public to whom the land belongs. Of course not all livestock producers approve of this arrangement and it angers many, yet past attempts to rectify the situation have faced angry leaseholders and rural ministers which blocked any change from occurring.
Ideally, any money given should be reinvested into the conservation and maintenance of public land, but that has not been the case. The government Code of Practices for Leaseholders is under demanding and straight forward and states that managers must maintain fences, protect water sources and ensure they are available for contact.
Most recently, in July of 2015, the Auditor General of Alberta released it's report regarding the surface disturbance compensation monies paid to individual grazing lease managers. The reports states compensation from oil and gas companies paid to the leaseholders has amounted to many times the amount that the leaseholders paid the government in rent. Auditors don't have a final number of the amount paid out to leaseholders as the governmental department failed to keep records. However, from a sampling of 54 grazing leases that paid $326,000 in rent, 2.7 million dollars in compensation for disturbance on public lands has been received. If this sampling gives a measure of what is likely to be found province wide with 5700 leases, it would amount to over $25 million lost to Albertans and into the personal pockets of ranching leaseholders for damage to public lands with no accountability. The auditor general report states that changes to legislation are needed to rectify the current situation and that no Albertan should derive personal gain from Alberta's public assets. Furthermore, the report suggests that the Environment and Parks Department should clearly define it's environmental, social and economic goals for public grazing leases in addition to protecting plant and animal species.
Ideally, any money given should be reinvested into the conservation and maintenance of public land, but that has not been the case. The government Code of Practices for Leaseholders is under demanding and straight forward and states that managers must maintain fences, protect water sources and ensure they are available for contact.
Most recently, in July of 2015, the Auditor General of Alberta released it's report regarding the surface disturbance compensation monies paid to individual grazing lease managers. The reports states compensation from oil and gas companies paid to the leaseholders has amounted to many times the amount that the leaseholders paid the government in rent. Auditors don't have a final number of the amount paid out to leaseholders as the governmental department failed to keep records. However, from a sampling of 54 grazing leases that paid $326,000 in rent, 2.7 million dollars in compensation for disturbance on public lands has been received. If this sampling gives a measure of what is likely to be found province wide with 5700 leases, it would amount to over $25 million lost to Albertans and into the personal pockets of ranching leaseholders for damage to public lands with no accountability. The auditor general report states that changes to legislation are needed to rectify the current situation and that no Albertan should derive personal gain from Alberta's public assets. Furthermore, the report suggests that the Environment and Parks Department should clearly define it's environmental, social and economic goals for public grazing leases in addition to protecting plant and animal species.
