A petition has been organized in southern Alberta in response to a proposal to convert part of municipally owned native grasslands in the Municipal District of Taber into irrigated cropland. The Vauxhall Stock Grazing Association was notified that six sections of grazing lease near Scope Reservoir will not be renewed in 2026, to make way for a project by the MD and Bow River Irrigation District to transform about 3,100 acres of grassland.

The lands in question currently support grazing operations under leases. They are accessed under municipal and provincial ownership; the MD of Taber holds some 69,280 acres of land suitable for grazing, and there are approximately 160,800 acres of Crown-owned grazing land in the municipality.

Local ranchers have raised concerns about environmental damage and loss of native grasslands, which are among the most threatened ecosystems globally. Species that have been noted in this area include some declining bird populations and pronghorn.

The MD proposed a borrowing bylaw that, if passed, would allow up to $6 million to be borrowed to support converting grazing leases into irrigated cropland in partnership with the irrigation district.

In opposition to the proposal, the Oldman Lease Holders Association (OLHA) has begun gathering signatures from local residents—approximately 800 are needed—to prevent the bylaw’s third and final reading, which must occur before the project proceeds. Under current rules a petition filed in time may force a public vote on the issue.

Municipal officials have defended the conversion project on the basis that the land currently generates minimal revenue, that there has been demand within the district for more irrigated land, and that the project could help improve municipal infrastructure.

The controversy reflects deeper tensions between agricultural grazing interests, conservation values, municipal finance, and land use planning in Alberta. The case has drawn attention from provincial conservation groups which have requested that certain parcels of the grasslands near Scope Reservoir be kept in their existing state.