Ranchers in B.C.'s southeast call for stricter enforcement of regulations around fences

A group of ranchers in B.C.'s East Kootenay say they want stronger enforcement of regulations around fences over concerns for the safety of their livestock and the general public.

Randy Reay, a third-generation cattle farmer in the East Kootenay and a member of the Kootenay Livestock Association and the Waldo Stock Breeders Association, says over the last 15 years, he has lost access to Crown land grazing because of improperly fenced land. 

In an earlier statement, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development said while it's the responsibility of cattle farmers to keep their animals off the public roads, it's the responsibility of private landowners to build fences to keep cattle out.

"I'd hoped that we'd be able to find solutions to these problems before we had to pass everything on to the next generation, and sadly, we haven't been successful in getting those solutions," said Reay. 

The MOTI contributes $1 million every year to the province's livestock fencing program, which is administered through the British Columbia Cattlemen's Association. 

Reay says it's not enough. 

"Most of us ranchers in British Columbia, we rely on Crown range … this Crown range resource is extremely important to us. Over the years, we've continued to lose more and more of this precious resource," Reay said.

Reay says some of the range tenures in the region are unusable because they are bordered by highway or railway and not properly fenced. He continues to pay about $180 a month in range fees on land he no longer uses. 

Railway fencing also an issue, ranchers say 

According to B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI), there are no provincial or federal requirements for railways to fund, install or maintain cattle fencing. 

"If the railroad fences aren't maintained, the cattle can then go out through the railroad access and onto the highway and then people's lives are in jeopardy," said Reay. 

"Ranchers value life, and human life is even more important than our animals, so we just can't take that risk." 

Brett Larsen, with the Waldo Stock Breeders Association, says unmaintained railway fencing is a major concern of his. 

"There's a lot of railway fence that runs through private and Crown range tenures in our province, and it has been neglected for a few years. And it causes a multitude of issues for people trying to run cattle," he told CBC News. 

He adds that livestock and wild animals, like deer or elk, get caught up in unmaintained fencing, causing injuries. 

Larsen and Reay say companies like CPKC have offered to purchase materials if the ranchers fix or build the fences themselves. 

"It's not reasonable to expect a rancher to go out and build those fences," said Reay. 

CBC News contacted CPKC for comment but did not hear back by deadline. 

Ranchers want help from governments

Reay and Larsen say they want local, provincial and federal governments to help find a solution. Including strictly enforcing the legislation that's already in place. 

"We have to be able to continue to count on a solid range policy that will give us grazing into the future," Reay said. "Government needs to recognize that they've got an important role there if they want the agriculture industry in British Columbia to continue."