There is more to be considered than just the view. I recently received a phone call from a pre-retirement professional Baby Boomer who has just purchased some native prairie in the coulees of one of our major river valleys, not very far from a large urban centre. The land had previously been used for livestock grazing and now the owner of the land is capitalizing on interest of the public to build acreages in scenic areas.
Native prairie is a threatened habitat in Saskatchewan's sea of cultivated fields.
First we should consider the disturbance factors that are required to maintain healthy native prairie. Namely, fire and grazing. Most urban-removed acreage owners are reluctant to use fire because of the potential dangers . Historical grazing patterns were often high intensity but very infrequent. Agricultural activities such as planned livestock grazing are proving to be beneficial for maintenance of native rangeland in Saskatchewan.