This process may bring the calculated totals closer to actual use. Tenures Tenures issued under the Range Act are required to use Crown forage for livestock. An administrative exception is made for non-commercial recreationists using horses on Crown range, where issuing a tenure would be logistically difficult and costly or where no damage is occurring to the range resource. Range tenures take the form of grazing permits, granted for periods of one to five years and grazing licences, which have terms of 10 years and require the licensee to produce a tenure management plan for the tenured area. The tenure management plan, which broadly outlines where and when cattle will be grazed, is typically produced by, or in cooperation with Ministry of Forests range staff.
Most tenures are replaceable without competition prior to expiry.
In areas where forage exceeds the needs of wildlife and other resource users, new grazing permits and licences may be made available and awarded through a process of applicant evaluation. A provincial summary of grazing permits and licences is shown in Figure 4.10 . Figure 4.11 presents the AUMs authorized under grazing permits and licences and the level of use under both tenures. The significant increase in grazing licences reflects the government s desire to offer longer-term tenures in response to the 1989 Range Program Review. Nelson Forest Region has significant wildlife livestock conflicts which complicate their tenure administration.