Range

Our Rangelands include grasslands, wetlands, forestlands, and alpine-lands that produce grasses, broad leafed plants, and shrubs, used by large animals, wild or domestic. The diversity of habitats corresponds to a large variety of wildlife which depend on these rangelands. The Kamloops District Range staff work with ranchers in the Kamloops, Clearwater and McBride districts, to manage the range in a manner that considers natural ecosystems, wildlife habitat, timber harvesting and other values. The ranch's livestock use of Crown rangelands is authorized via Grazing Licenses or Permits under the Range Act, and the Forest and Range Practices Act.

Overview Maps of Range Units and/or Pastures:

Kamloops District (3 MB PDF )
Headwaters District: Clearwater (9MB PDF) and Robson Valley (857 KB PDF)

Grazing Tenure Renewals for 2004: Grazing Licenses are renewed about every ten years, while 'Grazing Permits' are 1-5 years. Each year several tenures are up for renewal, and the public are provided an opportunity to review and comment.

Range Use Plans for 2004: Range Use Plans are renewed every 5 years.

Noxious Weeds in the Kamloops District.

Some Web sites of Interest:

BC Forest Practices Branch: Range Section / The Range Act/ Range Fees and Rents/ Range Manual/ Range Reference Areas (Kamloops Region)

Society for Range Management/ BC Cattlemen's Association / BC Grassland Conservation Council

Range in the Kamloops District

Range Management is an evolving art and science, that strives to produce desired products or experiences on a sustainable basis. The "art" is in endeavoring to satisfy the varied people and groups with an interest in rangelands, and the "science" is the application of knowledge on the ecological basis of managing rangelands.

Present rangeland values include: biodiversity, forage for livestock, varied habitat for wildlife, scenic beauty, recreational experiences, water, and timber production on the forested areas.

Historically some areas of Kamloops rangelands were overgrazed and deteriorated, especially in the grasslands and alpine areas. This historical damage to rangelands was caused by ignorance and harsh economic times, as these rangelands hosted fur-trade horse-herds, Gold rush sheep and cattle-drives, homesteaders, and more.

Local Ranching became established in the late 1800’s. Today in the Kamloops District, about 250 ranchers have Crown grazing areas for roughly 30,000 cattle and several thousand sheep. This involves the issuance of about 150 grazing licences (Range Act) and 145 grazing leases (Lands Act). A detailed ‘Range Use Plan’ is required by the Forest Practices Code of BC Act.

Current ecologically based grazing systems and regulation by specially trained Range staff, have improved most range areas.

As you drive through the interior B. C. rangelands, you see complex natural ecosystems used by a varied cross section of society, and traditional practices alongside the new, such as the all important range-riders with their fast horses and skilled cow dogs.

Livestock grazing in Parks: The public may be surprised to see cattle in the new Parks that were created as a result of the Kamloops LRMP (1995, 1997). Local ranches had historical use of these sites prior to them being declared Parks and these existing livestock grazing tenures are to continue within these new Parks. The Kamloops LRMP includes a section on 'Domestic Livestock Grazing in Parks' that outlines strategies for range management in Parks including: monitoring, 'ungrazed areas', and special livestock management to meet Park goals (See Section 2.3.1.1 & Appendix 9). The Forest Service is to continue to manage these livestock tenures, through Grazing Tenures and associated Range Use Plans. A Provincial protocol agreement with BCParks and FS has been established and the Park Act has been amended to facilitate this action.