Years of overgrazing has degraded grasslands near Merritt, Forest Practices Board report says

Use agreement was unclear

Photo: Forest Practices Board

Coutlee range grasslands near Merritt.

An investigation has found grassland and open forests near Merritt are not functioning, with long-term overgrazing contributing to accelerated soil loss and reduced area stability as a result of a poorly worded range-use plan.

The investigation was initiated in 2023 after the Forests Practices Board received a complaint from two of six range-agreement holders who share grazing rights in the Mine pasture of the Coutlee Range Unit.

The complaint was regarding grazing practices and impacts, fence maintenance and noncompliance with the grazing schedule on land all half-dozen agreement holders were authorized to graze livestock on.

Investigators found long-term overgrazing resulted in impacts including accelerated soil loss and the ground becoming less stable. Upland functions were significantly impaired, but examined riparian areas and range developments, however, were compliant with legal requirements.

The board found that actions in the range-use plan were written in ways that were not measurable or able to be verified and, as a result, the board could not determine whether required actions were being followed, making compliance with the plan unenforceable.

"When range-use plan requirements are not measurable or verifiable, there is no reliable way to determine compliance or whether intended outcomes are being achieved," Gerry Grant, vice-chair, Forest Practices Board said in a press release. "This is a recurring issue the board continues to identify in its range-related investigations and audits."

The board also found that an amended 2023 grazing schedule was not legally valid because it was not signed by all the agreement holders, as required.

In its report the board stated that this investigation illustrates the coordination challenges that can arise when multiple agreement holders operate under a single range use plan, and effective implementation depends on timely cooperation amongst all.

The board said the Ministry of Forests has been aware of poor conditions in the Mine pasture for many years.

It said that while actions taken by the government and range users the past two years — including a reduction in authorized grazing and limited use of the Mine pasture — are positive steps, recovery of degraded upland areas will require sustained effort over time.