Nine years after the Harper federal government dumped two million acres of community pastures into the province’s lap, the feds have obtained ownership of three pastures.
The transfer of community pastures to the provinces was necessary when the Harper administration eliminated the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA).
Under a land and property swap Environment Canada will obtain ownership of three southwestern Saskatchewan community pastures — Govenlock, Nashlyn and Battle Creek — in exchange for improvements on 55 other pastures the province received.
The improvements include residences, barns, corrals and fences. The 197,000 acre transaction is worth about $132 million.
Environment Canada will manage the land to conserve species at risk. The 10 species at risk on the lands are greater sage grouse, swift fox, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk, Sprague’s pipit, chestnut-collared longspur, mountain plover, long-billed curlew and northern leopard frog.
A strategy has been developed by government, conservation groups and area ranchers for continued grazing use of the pasture as well as conservation measures.
The 55 Saskatchewan PFRA pastures turned over to the province have been leased to local grazing organizations.
Manitoba continued operating the 20 PFRA pastures in that province as provincial community pastures.
The community pasture system was developed by the PFRA after the 1930s drought to offer farmers livestock diversification and use of grazing lands found unsuitable for cultivation.
Ron Walter can be reached at ronjoy@sasktel.net
