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Public Land Management

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Public Land Management

The Government of Alberta is responsible for managing public land for the benefits of all Albertans, both now and in the future. Public land management focuses on establishing and sustaining an optimum balance of use, conservation and development of resources, in harmony with the values and needs of Albertans. This stewardship responsibility requires public land managers to ensure that the quantity and quality of public land resources are maintained or enhanced.

Although much of the public land in the White Area (settled portion of Alberta) is under some form of lease or land use agreement, this land also supports a wide diversity of plant and animal life, including unique, rare and endangered species. An example of this is the public land under lease in southern Alberta. It forms the largest tract of native grasslands remaining in Canada. In many parts of the White Area, public land contains the only remaining blocks of native ecosystems.

Historically, public land management was directed at satisfying the needs of homesteaders and other settlers. Today, land management practices and policies must address a greater variety of competing demands. These include recreation, agricultural uses, industrial uses, commercial uses and conservation of selected public land locations. Underlying these demands are a requirement to balance development and conservation of the land with long-term sustainability.

Public land managers assess information collected from consultations with individual resource managers (e.g., wildlife biologists), stakeholders and the public. After thorough deliberation, they make decisions about managing the land base. The process is flexible and allows for the accommodation of new information and demands or changes in the values and desired results. Land managers have a number of valuable tools to guide them in managing public lands. These tools are described below.

Technical Information

Accurate information about the landscape, soils, vegetation, wildlife and other resources is critical in deciding what activities are appropriate for a particular area and how best to manage them. Over the years, resource inventories and applied research have been conducted on the land base. This has resulted in a mature and increasingly comprehensive information base. Currently, an effort is underway to combine government databases to give public land managers improved planning and management information.

Legislation and Policy

Policies are developed to help public land managers make consistent and fair decisions about managing public land. New legislation, like the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, gives land managers increased ability to enforce standards and protect the land.

Consultative Processes

Public land managers gather information and identify interests in the land through referrals from resource experts. Co-ordination and teamwork between government departments and others responsible for land and resource management is key to managing public lands. In addition, land managers consult with leaseholders, other stakeholders and the public to determine the best management approach.

Integrated Resource Management

Through Integrated Resource Management (IRM), government policies, programs and activities are integrated to gain the best long-term benefits, while minimizing conflicts. This approach is based on co-operation and communication. It includes the identification, assessment and comparison of all resource values. It also recognizes that any specific use of a resource can affect its use and management for other purposes. Those directly affected by a decision have the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process before action is taken.

Regional Decision Making

Where there is a high potential for conflict between resource uses, or where sensitive or unique landscapes require special management, regional integrated decisions are made. The decisions are guided by the principles of IRM and outline the objectives, guidelines and management plans for resource uses in a particular area. This process helps to minimize conflict and impact on other valuable resources. The public land manager is a key participant in these planning exercises.

Shared Management

Public Land lessees assist with the stewardship of public land to ensure that future generations of Albertans will be able to enjoy the same resource values and uses. Many lessees work in concert with the public land manager in extension and research activities. Some lessees have demonstration projects on their leases, while others assist Lands Division staff in delivering training courses for other clients.

Land Management Philosophy

In recent years, it has been recognized that the land should be viewed in its entirety rather than each part in isolation (e.g., focusing only on grassland or wildlife). The goal is to manage resources while considering the impact on the health of the whole system. As an example, fencing and carefully managed grazing near streambanks can provide increased grazing for livestock, better habitat for fish and a reduced risk of erosion along the stream.

Through the use of the above tools, the public land manager is better able to sustain the quality of public land resources while allowing increased use by agriculture, industry and the public.

For updated information

Contact any of the offices below:

Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Lands Division
Land Dispositions Branch
South Tower, Petroleum Plaza
9915 108 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2G8
Telephone: (780) 427 3464

Rangeland Management Branch
South Tower, Petroleum Plaza
9920 - 108 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2M4
Telephone: (780) 427 3595

Land Management Branch
South Tower, Petroleum Plaza
9915 108 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2G8
Telephone: (780) 427 3570

Forestry Division
Forest Management Branch
9920 108 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2M4
Telephone: (780) 422 4590

OR call the Lands Division office in your area.