Tax Recovery Land
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Tax recovery lands are lands that were at one time privately owned. A large amount of land, mostly in southern Alberta, became tax recovery land. Drought, poor farming practices and the Depression led many people to forfeit their land as they were unable to pay municipal taxes. Since 1930, the province of Alberta has acquired some tax recovery lands and managed them as public land. Most of this land has been under grazing lease for decades.
Municipalities can request that the province transfer tax recovery lands back to them. On tax recovery lands to be transferred, the province informs the municipality of conservation and management concerns to assist in land use planning. Lands with commanding environmental sensitivity may not be transferred. The municipality must honour the existing dispositions. Grazing leases are honoured for the current term, plus one renewal.
The Department of Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) now transfers land directly to the municipality for $1 per parcel. Currently, the government is verifying which lands are tax recovery lands and will notify the affected municipalities and disposition holders. Potentially, about 200,000 acres of tax recovery land, with about 300 grazing leases and 1,300 industrial dispositions (e.g., oil and gas wells) are involved. Until the municipalities request these lands, they will continue to be managed as public land and rental revenue will be transferred to the municipalities as in the past.
For updated information
Contact any of the offices below:
Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
Lands Division
Rangeland Management Branch
South Tower, Petroleum Plaza
9915 - 108 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2M4
Telephone: (780) 427 3595
Land Dispositions Branch
South Tower, Petroleum Plaza
9915 - 108 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2G8
Telephone: (780) 427 3464
Land Management Branch
South Tower, Petroleum Plaza
9915 - 108 Street NW
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2G8
Telephone: (780) 427 3570
OR call the closest Lands Division office in your area.
