NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT Grazing leaseholders are curious about an announcement by the provincial government that will remove Alberta residency requirements in public land sales and leasing agreements. White faced cows make their inspection of a field located 16 kilomteres south of Medicine Hat on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The head of the Alberta Grazing Leaseholders Association says he was surprised by a provincial announcement that Alberta will remove residency requirements to hold grazing rights on Crown lands.
However, Suffield area rancher Kyle Forbes told the News on Tuesday that he’s also generally encouraged by the move and hopes it helps the beef sector and leads to freer markets across Canada.
“I think it will benefit beef producers and the grazing industry in Alberta by bringing increased investment,” said Forbes, who is in his second year as president of the Alberta Gazing Leaseholders Association.
“The hope is that it will reduce the barriers with other provinces … it’s encouraging.”
Premier Jason Kenney told the Canadian Chamber of Commerce meeting in St. John, N.B. on Sunday that the province would unilaterally remove the exceptions it holds in the Canada Free Trade Agreement.
The deal includes Alberta-specific clauses that restrict certain cross-boundary activities, but going forward grazing lease agreements or purchasing public lands would be available to any individuals or corporations in Canada, though not outside the country.
Forbes said his group expects to learn more about the changes and reasoning in planned meetings with the Alberta Parks and Environment Ministry in the next few weeks.
Chad MacPherson, the general manager of the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, said his organization was unaware of any perceived imbalance between how the provinces manage lease land.
“It could be helpful, but in general I’m not sure what it’s going to do (for members),” he said.
Leases are dearly held by operators, and few become publicly available through the general application process when leaseholders choose not to renew.
Forbes cited the total of two last year for the province, and the tenure length was recently doubled to 20 years by the province, a move the AGLA applauds.
Still, Forbes said removing residency requirements could expand options for ranchers in eastern Alberta when considering succession plans.
Plus, he said, “it is only fair” considering that until now Alberta ranchers could hold leases in Saskatchewan, but not the other way around.
There are about 1,600 grazing leases in the South Saskatchewan River basin, including 1.2 million acres in Cypress County, and another 1,400 leases in the Special Areas.
Forbes also says the move could spur the development of new grazing leases in northern Alberta, where more public land is available. The effects could trickle southward in terms availability of leases and the health of the sector province-wide.
Opening new forage areas anywhere, said Forbes, would help the feed situation everywhere, especially in the south of the province that has been hit with drought-like conditions for three straight years.
“Added investment in the beef sector is the positive,” said Forbes.
In other sectors, Alberta will drop exemptions for renewable energy development and as well, a restriction on purchase agreements for out-of-province energy, meant to shield in-province generators that will be allowed to lapse in 2021.
