Community pastures

AAFC-PFRA community pastures represent some of the largest contiguous blocks of healthy native grasslands in Canada. Totaling approximately 929,000 ha., these rangelands are conserved using both sound range management principles and grassroots community-based coordination for program delivery. Producer livestock are used to provide the necessary grazing treatment to conserve native prairie.

The Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Saskatchewan recently released a research report entitled "Estimation of Cost Recovery Levels on Federal Community Pastures Under Joint Private and Public Benefits" in January 2002. Research project findings indicate that the PFRA Community Pasture Program total annual benefit (both public and private) is about $49.6 million, while the annual corresponding program costs are about $33.7 million. This means that the total annual benefits derived from AAFC-PFRA Community Pastures are 47% greater than the total annual costs incurred. Annual private benefits are estimated at $24.8 million, while the costs for supplying these private values are $18.2 million. This indicates that Canadian taxpayers are getting good dollar value in the Community Pasture Program.

With the exception of grazing on the Canadian Forces Base Suffield in Alberta, all pastures are located in Manitoba (24) and Saskatchewan (62). The pastures vary in size from 2,000 to 45,000 ha, with the average pasture encompassing an area of approximately 10,000 ha. The pasture units have an estimated carrying capacity of 707,000 animal unit months of grazing each season. The number of livestock grazing on each pasture depends on the pasture size and the forage resource. Find out more about the Community Pastures Program.

The condition of rangeland resources is monitored to determine if changes in management are required. This information is used in combination with pasture developments, historic livestock utilization, soil type and associated moisture conditions to calculate the carrying capacity of each pasture. Annual adjustments are made to stocking rates depending on local pasture conditions to ensure optimal utilization of forage production. During periods of drought stocking rates are reduced to levels that will ensure that native prairie does not become overgrazed.

Most pastures have a full-time manager overseeing their operation. In the fall, grazing privileges are assigned to eligible farmers for the following season. The number of cattle that will be pastured is also decided at that time. Each pasture has an advisory committee, elected by patrons, which recommends operational changes to PFRA for local pasture program delivery.

Close to 4,000 producers use the pastures each summer for grazing and breeding their livestock. The major benefit to pasture patrons is that they allow farmers to supplement their own grazing lands. To help improve the quality of western cattle, about 3,000 high-quality bulls are provided for breeding purposes. Other services are provided on the pastures as required and include inoculation, branding, dehorning and castration. Fees are charged for all services.

To ensure effective delivery of the community pasture program, improvement and maintenance are ongoing and include brush clearing, weed control, fireguarding, tame grass stand rejuvenation and construction and maintenance of livestock handling facilities. More than 1,800 dugouts, 770 wells, 420 windmills and 130 dams have been built on the community pastures because of the importance of water to both livestock and wildlife. Over 328 ha of pasture land are irrigated. Alfalfa grown on this irrigated land is used as winter feed for the approximately 2700 federal government-owned bulls.

The pastures also provide areas for a variety of non-agricultural activities such as hunting, logging, mineral extraction, oil exploration, preservation of archaeological sites, research and recreation. PFRA pastures are recognized for their important role in conserving biodiversity and providing habitat for wildlife. The pastures provide year-round critical habitat for wildlife, including endangered species, like the Ferruginous Hawk, Burrowing Owl and Swift Fox. In Saskatchewan, 49 of 62 PFRA pastures provide homes for "species at risk" as defined by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). PFRA has implemented several recovery plans for endangered species and continues to apply range management practices which promote a healthy level of biodiversity. This often means moderate levels of grazing and use of rotational grazing systems. For more information, visit our Biodiversity pages.

The pastures have also become the subject of increased research and investigation into their role in the carbon cycle, endangered species protection, as well as biodiversity initiatives. Masefield pasture in Southwest Saskatchewan is home to research on songbird productivity and species diversity. Auvergne-Wise Creek pasture was a study area for arthropod diversity and size of native rangeland parcels. Numerous Ducks Unlimited projects are conducted on federal pastures. These projects provide water for both livestock and wildlife, plus provide suitable habitat for nesting waterfowl.

Several partnerships for ecosystem management have been entered into and AAFC-PFRA cooperates with numerous public interest groups and wildlife agencies on projects related to specific plant and animal species. A recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Saskatchewan Environment recognizes all AAFC-PFRA community pastures that contain native rangeland as a valuable contribution to Saskatchewan's Representative Areas Network (RAN).

In Saskatchewan, AAFC-PFRA also contributes to a number of objectives under the Prairie Conservation Action Plan (PCAP). This Plan reflects agreement among representatives of 24 government agencies and national and non-governmental organizations regarding conservation of native prairie.

For more information about our Community Pasture Program, contact land management staff or your local AAFC-PFRA office.