Arena Pasture: A Model of Long-Term Sustainability

Travis Wasko of Eastend is proud to be a steward of the 61,000 acres of Crown land in the Arena pasture along with the adjacent private lease land southwest of Eastend. He’s the third generation of his family to have cattle in the Arena Pasture and says that the management of the pasture has been consistent and reliable over the years, from when the pasture was managed by the Ministry of Agriculture Saskatchewan Pasture Program and following transition in 2020.

From the early 1920s to 2017, there were two separate types of government-managed Crown pastures in the province—the Saskatchewan Pasture Program and the Community Pasture Program. With the discontinuation of the Saskatchewan Pasture Program beginning in 2017, the management of these pastures was transitioned to boards made up of patrons whose cattle and sheep spend the summer in the pasture. The land is still owned and regulated by the Crown, but management is now in the hands of the patron groups.

Saskatchewan’s unique soils and ecosystems were formed under vast tracts of grasslands, enriching the soil with a history of thousands of years of decaying organic matter. Native grasslands provide many public benefits, such as wildlife habitat, water and nutrient cycling, and carbon sequestration.

Grassland ecosystems are seeing a rapid decline on a global scale; however, Saskatchewan has a large portion of grasslands still intact. Part of the reason the province has been successful at retaining these native grasslands is because almost six million acres are protected as Crown land by the provincial government. Agriculture Crown land and privately-owned native rangeland play an important role in supporting the province’s thriving beef cattle sector and support many ranching and farming families, like the Waskos, who rely on these pastures for grazing their livestock.

Barry Wasko, Travis’s father, was part of a group of six board members initially formed during the Arena Pasture transition, and Travis says everything pretty much stayed the same, except now the patrons are more connected because they’re now involved in decision-making.

Today, Travis and six other producers from the area make up the Arena Pasture board. The board is responsible for setting long-term goals and supporting their pasture manager, Lee Bascom, as he runs day-to-day activities. The Ministry of Agriculture’s Lands Branch is responsible for setting and reviewing maximum stocking rates for the pasture and offering recommendations to maintain rangeland health.

Transparency between the patron group and the Lands Branch is essential for effectively managing Saskatchewan agriculture Crown land. In Arena Pasture, Lee oversees and records herd movements, any animal treatments or deaths, dugout conditions, construction or repair of infrastructure like water systems or fences. At the end of the season, a report is sent to the Land Management Specialist for the area to ensure stocking rates and other requirements are being met. Lee says, “Leases aren’t automatically renewed; the patrons and managers work hard to make sure the land is cared for.”

As pasture manager, Lee ensures the animals have access to adequate supply of grass and suitable water throughout the grazing season, with the mentality that healthy grasslands support healthy cattle.

“It’s not always about the dollar,” he says. “It’s our responsibility to make sure there is not only grass to use now, but also so patrons can continue using the land after we’re gone.”

Prior to being hired in 2013, Lee was trained under the previous pasture manager. He says that knowing the history of grazing practices and the environmental conditions unique to Arena Pasture is a major benefit that both he and the local producers on the board bring to the table. Rainfall in this area is quite low, with a recent average of roughly seven inches of precipitation from April through July. This very dry area grows a unique mix of native plants such as needle-and-thread grass, northern wheatgrass and pasture sage.

Because of the hot and dry conditions this pasture sees for a large portion of the year, Travis says the land and forage stand can be damaged quickly and need to be watched closely.

Following the transition, there were concerns voiced that the integrity of the grasslands and the value they provide to both producers and the public could be lost. This is not the case, and the current model is proving to work. The combination of local knowledge from the board and pasture managers, along with technical expertise of subject matter experts from within the Ministry of Agriculture and other science-based range management groups, makes for a great partnership. “I am able to base the grazing plans off the tours and conversations we have, taking the input and knowledge from all parties. It’s important to have perspective from others in the grass management industry,” Lee says.

Travis’s words say it all.

“We as patrons and producers care about the pasture, and care for it like it is our own. There are no better stewards for this land than us.”