Resource Road Act Project Ministry of Forests and Range Resource Tenures & Engineering Branch 2006
Resource Roads Status Quo Uncommon and uncertain tenures Road without tenures: NSRs Inconsistent Standards Exaggerated environmental footprint Administrative complexity Inter-industry friction Ineffective land and resource management
Volume of Resource Roads is Significant & Increasing Projections from digital mapping: Approx 45,000 kms of public roads Approx 650,000 kms of resource roads. –Up to 30,000 kms of new resource roads per year for next 5-10 years –Resource roads reaching more populated and controversial areas
Project Objectives Consolidate legislation: simplify and streamline Harmonize standards and administration across province Move to results based model Establish effective dispute settlement process Improve governments management of existing infrastructure and liabilities
Land Act & Regulations Simplify and Consolidate: Transfer Best Parts of Existing Acts and Regulations into New RRA Resource Roads Act & Regulations Petroleum and Natural Gas Act & Regulations Industrial Roads Act & Regulations Forest and Range Practices Act & Regulations Mining Right of Way Act & Regulations Other Acts & Regulations
Benefits of Proceeding Simplified permitting requirements Common standards across industries Reduced environmental impact Better use of existing infrastructure Improved inter-industry road use Improved tracking of government liabilities No new non status roads (NSRs) More specific road tenures
Steering Committee Membership Oil and Gas Commission Energy Mines and Petroleum Resources Forests and Range Environment Tourism, Sport and the Arts Integrated Land Management Bureau Agriculture and Lands Transportation
Project Challenges Avoid impacts to land-use planning processes & authorities. Complex operational issues Appropriate implementation schedule Effective dispute settlement mechanism Legislative Ownership / Sponsor
Project Challenges – Contd. Suitable legislative model Creating multi-industry tools for performance metrics and C&E regimes OGRII objectives Existing NSRs Inter-Industry Capitalization Policy