Alberta Land Stewardship Act & Related Amendments to:

Public Lands ActForests Act

Presentation to the College of Alberta Professional Foresters

June 25, 2009

Overview

Context For Legislation Alberta Land Stewardship Act Forests Act Amendments Public Lands Act Amendments Status of Regional Plans Impacts of Regional Plans Role of Forestry Professional

Context for Legislation

Land-Use Framework (LUF) Policy Albertans asked for:

Provincial leadership

An approach to planning that integrates Alberta’s environmental, economic, and social objectives at the regional level.

An approach that encourages stewardship and conservation

Alberta Land Stewardship Act

Purpose of the Act Means for Government to provide

guidance on Economic, Environmental, and Social Objectives

Ability to Plan for the needs of Current and Future Generations

Enable Sustainable Development and a Cumulative Effects Management approach

Part 1 Regional Plans

Lieutenant Governor Makes Planning Regions and Plans

Elements of a Regional Plan Adopt or Create Sub-Regional Plans Statutory Consents

Part 2Nature, Effect and Compliance

Plans are Regulations Plans are Legally Binding Compensation Limited under this Act Compliance Declaration

Part 3 Conservation & Stewardship Tools

Research and Development Conservation Easements Conservation Directives Conservation Offsets Transfer Of Development Credits

Part 4Regional Planning Process

Lieutenant Governor Sets the Process in Motion

Regional Advisory Council Approves a Terms of Reference

Land-Use Secretariat Not a department Stewardship Commissioner

Part 4Regional Planning Process

Landuse Secretariat’s Role in: Regional Plan Development Regional Plan Implementation Information Systems Monitoring and Reporting

Part 5Transitional Provisions & Amendments

Conservation Easements transferred from Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act

Consequential Amendments Consequential amendments to 26 Acts

Align other Acts with regional plans

Provides for enforcement of regional plans

Forests Act – Consequential Amendments

Forests Act – Key Changes

Regional Plans take precedence Allows for partial assignments of

dispositions

Part 3 – Transferred to Public Lands Act

Forest Land Use Zones Forest Recreation Areas Forest Recreation Trails

Forests Act – Key Changes

Section 16 – refers to ‘sustainable forest management’ vs. ‘yield' (outdated)

Section 28.1 – can prohibit 3rd parties from selling or buying access to crown timber

Section 29 – Reforestation Records

Forests Act – Key Changes

Enforcement Fine increases Enabling Admin penalty process Scope of ‘Forest Officer’ Expanded Great clarity on investigation, right of entry,

seizure process Creative Sentencing Provision Recovery of Economic Benefit

Separation of ‘Director’ and ‘Minister’

Forests Act – Key Changes

Additional offences:

Section 9 – damage of signs, structures Section 10 – cutting, damaging forest growth Section 28.1 – sale or purchase of access to

forest land Providing misleading information to forest

officer

Enables an Appeals Process

Public Lands Act – Consequential Amendments

Public Lands Act - Amendments

Major amendments were necessary:

60 percent of Alberta is Public Land, administered under the Public Lands Act

More land management ability is required to implement regional plans

Public Lands Act – Key Changes

Clarification that Crown is owner of public land

Ability to manage cumulative impacts of activity (i.e. access to public land) in accordance with Regional Plans

Increased enforcement provisions

Public Lands Act – Key Changes

Director vs. Minister Establishment of a land stewardship

fund Dispositions

Cancelled/Suspended/Amended Occupation of Public Land

Access to land requires consent Blanket Consent for Disposition Holders

Greater ability to manage recreation access to vacant public land

Public Lands Act – Key Changes

Fines increased New tool - Stop Work Orders Recovery of economic benefit Creative Sentencing New Appeals Section

Current Situation

Stakeholder sessions held - Concerns: Impact to existing dispositions What does managing rec access mean? Stop Work Orders – need an appeal Timely approvals

Current Situation

Open Houses held on Bill 36 (ALSA) Seven Weeks of sessions

Bill 36 received Royal Assent June 4, 2009

Next Steps Proclamation Regulation Development/Amendment

Regional Plan Status

Regional Plans

Seven Planning Regions Currently two plans are under

development Lower Athabasca Regional Plan (LARP) South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP)

Complete all Plans by 2012

Lower Athabasca Regional Plan

Regional Advisory Committee Established

Terms of Reference nearing Approval Economic Development (Bitumen) Land Conservation Water and Air Thresholds Human Development

Vision Statement and Objectives drafted Modelling already underway Complete draft plan – December 2009

South Saskatchewan Regional Plan

Regional Advisory Committee appointed Terms of Reference draft stage

Population Growth Water

State of the Region drafted Modelling input being discussed Final Draft completed by June 2010

Regional Plan Impact

Regional Plan Impacts

Difficult to Predict Immediate Impacts Depends on the Resolution of the Plan Current Plans At least 4 Levels of Filtering

• Cabinet Direction

• Regional Planning Team

• Regional Advisory Committee

• Public, Stakeholder, and First Nations

Regional Plan Impacts

Cons Potential to affect allocation or approvals However, current message is business as

usual

Pros Clearer Government Objectives Greater Certainty More Efficient Resource Planning Less Conflict between Industrial users Social License

Role Of the Forestry Professional

Role Of the Forestry Professional

Get Involved

Professional Level Regulation Development (Forests Act,

Public Lands Act) Regional Advisory Committee Public/Stakeholder Consultations Direct Feedback

Role Of the Forestry Professional

Individual Level

Forestry Professionals have: Broad Base of Ecological Knowledge Planning skills at both the Operational

level as well as the long-term 10 - 200 year view

Used to Being Specialized Generalist Position ourselves as Facilitators and

Mediators

Questions?