24 WATER management critical


creek bottom. “When the cattle have access to water up in the hills, they don’t regularly come down to the creek,” he points out. “We don’t have to fence them out of the riparian area because they are only there for a couple of days to eat the grass and then they move up the hill and don’t come back.” That dry Similkameen


grassland is also home to 31 species at risk. As Ottawa identified and developed plans for the protection of these species on federal grazing lands, discussions with ranchers centered on the presence of cattle. “They said if they remove the cattle we are going to help the species at risk,” Clifton recalls. “And I asked, is it going to help them?” Challenging the


conventional wisdom was mighty scary at first, but the Cliftons explained how the cattle were a key part of the grasslands ecosystem. Each individual species requires a diverse habitat and removing the cattle would significantly alter that diversity. “Cattle have been grazing on that land for over 100 years,” notes Clifton. “The


species that live there do so because the habitat supports them, and cattle are a significant part of that habitat.”


The family has won


recognition for its work with the Nature Trust of BC in developing a range management plan that incorporates cattle to restore grasslands around White Lake. The White Lake Biodiversity Ranch is now a showcase property in the Nature Trust’s portfolio. “They are 100% on-side


with how we are managing,” says Clifton. The Cliftons had bought


half of White Lake Ranch, which is the middle of their range area, and Nature Trust had bought the other half hoping to restore areas which were overgrazed. Clifton says the plan initially


called for fencing off the grasslands to keep cattle out but it wasn’t working. That’s when they approached the Cliftons about a partnership. “We asked them to consider what the cattle might do to help restore the grass,” says Clifton. “We showed them how, when grass is grazed at the right


nfrom pg 23


time, it stimulates a strong regrowth. We pointed out the weeds that the cattle would eat and we explained how closely we monitor and time our grazing.” Indeed, timing is a key to


the Clifton’s grazing plan. “We watch our grasslands


really closely to time our turn- out,” he says. “We don’t look at the calendar, we look at the grass to know when it is ready.” In the most sensitive areas


around White Lake, the cattle are on for just two weeks, sometimes with a three-year gap. “This is a 50-year process,” notes Clifton. “When the grasslands are depleted in this hot, dry, environment, it takes a long time to recover.” The restoration is starting


to show success. Clifton points to a control area that is fenced off and has not had cattle grazing. That pasture has poor forage growth with weeds choking out the grass. Across the road, a grazed field has taller, healthier grass and fewer weeds. The non-grazed area might


eventually recover, says Clifton. “The weeds might reach a


point after a number of years where they crash, and the grass has a chance to come back,” he says. “But it is a lot of waiting for an unknown outcome.”


Due to the unique


BCHA President John Lewis 250-218-2537


BCHA Secretary Janice Tapp 250-699-6466


bchereford.ca


COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • JULY 2019


Smooth wire top and bottom is wildlife friendly. [BCCA PHOTO]


ecosystem and the location, there are multiple agencies that have interests in the grasslands of the South Okanagan and Similkameen. It is obvious from spending time with Clifton that his low-key, yet highly informed manner would come to be respected among the various interest groups and government agencies he deals with. For the family, being


recognized with the sustainability award creates opportunities to share their story of how cattle can support an ecosystem rather than damage it. “What I am hoping more


than anything is that it shows that cattlemen are actually doing the right thing to maintain our grasslands,” says Clifton. “I hope we can train people to understand that.”


Ranch operations


Wade Clifton’s parents established the home ranch in Olalla in 1968, moving from property on the opposite side of the Similkameen River. Clifton and his wife Sandra and his late


brother Brad and wife Dianne built the present-day operation to a 500-head cow- calf herd. They have 1,200 acres of deeded land and more than 50,000 acres of federal and Crown lease land as well as land they co-manage with the Nature Trust of BC. Most of the ranch’s calves move into a


Canada’s Verified Beef Production Plus Program


VBP+ is an approved Certification Body for the CRSB Sustainable Beef Production Standard


feedlot next to the home property in late fall. The Cliftons grow their own high- quality winter feed and aim to ship 825- pound heifers and 900-pound steers in January, when there are fewer animals in the market. A few animals are butchered locally for customers looking for a quarter or side. Cows are bred on the range. The herd base is a Hereford/Angus cross and the Cliftons have introduced Salers for ease of calving.


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