The Victorian government has lost its fight to let high country graziers back into the Alpine National Park, with federal Environment Minister Tony Burke announcing today that the application had been rejected.

Mr Burke said in Canberra that his department had advised him that the application by Victoria to allow grazing was inconsistent with federal environmental law.

"A national park should not be used as a farm," Mr Burke said.

"It's there for nature and it's there for people to enjoy nature. It's not there to be used as a form of free feed for a handful of local producers."

In 2005, the then Labor Victorian government banned grazing in the high country. But after it won government, the Coalition in January last year announced a trial whereby 400 cattle would graze in certain areas of Alpine National Park near Mansfield.