Overview
We are gathering input from targeted stakeholders on a draft OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland Management Plan and from Albertans on an amendment to the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan to support implementation of the OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland Management Plan.
The updated draft OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland Management Plan aims to protect and conserve the native rough fescue grassland and species at risk, while supporting existing grazing practices and Indigenous traditional uses.
Management plans for heritage rangelands are required to ensure the management intent of the Heritage Rangeland designation continues to be met. The existing OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland management plan (2010) has been reviewed and requires updates to meet current management practices and policies.
The OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland is a protected Crown land area northwest of Longview, Alberta.
Get informed
The OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland is the second designated heritage rangeland (2008) established in Alberta. The Wilderness Areas, Ecological Reserves, Natural Areas and Heritage Rangeland Act designates the area as a Heritage Rangeland and provides the information on the allowable activities within a heritage rangeland.
The OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland is located in the Municipal District of Foothills No. 31. Encompassing 4,277 hectares (10,569 acres), it consists of 2 separate land parcels. The Tongue Creek parcels border the Wolf Creek Provincial Recreation Area to the west and private conservation areas to the east. The Pekisko Creek parcel lies further south, west of Highway 22 (the Cowboy Trail). This southern parcel is surrounded on 3 sides by the Pekisko Heritage Rangeland.
The surrounding area includes private lands protected by conservation easements and the OH Ranch owners. Private lands in the area are excluded from the OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland.
Learn more about the draft OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland Management Plan:
- Draft OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland Management Plan
- Heritage Rangeland Management Plans fact sheet
- OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland boundary map
- OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland Management Plan engagement fact sheet
- Alberta Land Stewardship Act
Get involved
Written feedback
We are proposing a minor amendment to the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan Note A, p 209. The section would be updated with language enabling forest harvesting that manages forest encroachment for range health.
This amendment would support the management plan, which identifies forest harvesting for forest encroachment as an allowable activity, which is currently inconsistent with the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan's regulatory details.
Email your feedback on this targeted amendment to us at [email protected] by November 17, 2026.
Stakeholder engagement
Information sessions
We will work directly with statutory consent holders (including grazing leaseholders and other disposition holders). These stakeholders will be invited to attend an information session (dates to be determined).
Online survey
Stakeholders will be invited to provide feedback through an online survey by November 17, 2026.
Written feedback
Adjacent private conservation easement landowners and local municipalities in the OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland area are invited to email feedback on the draft management plan to [email protected].
Indigenous engagement
Indigenous communities and organizations in the OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland area can request one-on-one meetings and/or provide written submissions.
Outcomes
Feedback will be used to help inform, refine and finalize the OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland Management Plan. Proposed changes will be considered to ensure alignment with government mandates, policies and technical and legal requirements.
A decision on the final plan will be made by government in winter 2026-27. Completing the OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland Management Plan supports Alberta’s accelerated land use planning approach, as outlined in the 2025 mandate letter to the Minister of Environment and Protected Areas.
Contact
Connect with us about the OH Ranch Heritage Rangeland Management Plan engagement:
Email: [email protected]