Changes to Agricultural Crown Lands Leases and Permits regulations are now officially in effect in Manitoba.
Dauphin MLA and provincial Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn made the announcement, saying the ACL program will improve forage productivity and expand the livestock industry while advancing sustainability.
Among the amendments are the availability of a five-year extension on a 15-year lease term for leaseholders that complete and implement a forage management plan for at least the last five years of that 15-year lease term.
Legacy leaseholders are now also able to nominate the next leaseholder, subject to treaty Land Entitlement and Consultation assessments.
Also among the changes are unlimited transfers of a 15-year forage lease or renewable permit to any eligible lessee for the remainder of the lease term, as well as forage capacity being determined when the lease is issued, and remaining for the entire length of the agreement.
Also, outgoing leaseholders in the final year of their lease who choose to be compensated for improvements made to the land they leased must now get those improvements appraised by an accredited appraiser.
The appraised value of those improvements will be posted when that land is allocated and should it be reallocated within two years of a lease expiring, the new lessee is required to pay the outgoing leaseholder for that value.
Kostyshyn adds these amendments add options for leaseholders while ensuring the use of the lands for traditional purposes and exercising of treaty rights.
