Photo courtesy of AG Canada
Nearly 800,000 acres of government-owned pastureland will be available for long-term leases rather than be sold to private users.
That decision was announced today, following weeks of public input earlier this spring. There will also be concessions made to Aboriginal groups, but not enough according to the FSIN.
A six-week online survey was conducted in April and May, with more than 70 per cent of respondents, mainly cattle producers, recommending the government keep the land and give current patrons the first option of leasing it.
Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart accepted the recommendations. He also says input from the FSIN and other Aboriginal groups was taken into consideration.
“We did what we were required to do and more as far as consultation goes,” he said.
The leases will run 15 years, and the transition of the 50 pastures will take place over the next three years. Stewart says the FSIN will be given a heads up if any of the land becomes available for a new lease.
“So we agreed that when we sell through the auction process, we agreed to notify FSIN so they could be apprised of that,” he said.
Meantime, the FSIN has sent out a news release saying the new lease rates will be going up too much and will become too expensive for most ranchers. Chief Bobby Cameron suggests the land should be used for outstanding treaty land entitlements.
He says First Nations could then lease it back to ranchers at a more favourable rate than what the government is offering.
Cameron says the FSIN looks to the long-term leasing arrangements as an opportunity for the Treaty Land Entitlement First Nations and the patron groups to work together to operate the pastures for the benefit of both groups.
The FSIN will contact the patron groups to meet with the 44 TLE First Nations to try to finalize a partnership agreement.