Alberta’s New Land Use System Moving Past the Tipping Point – Alberta’s New Land Use System ELC Webinar December 9, 2009 Cindy Chiasson Executive Director

Alberta’s New Land Use System About the ELC A registered charitable organization incorporated in 1982 Our mission: To ensure that laws, policies and legal processes protect the environment.

Alberta’s New Land Use System About the ELC Our ends: –Enactment and effective enforcement of sound environmental laws and policies. –Effective and informed public participation in environmental regulatory, law-making and decision-making processes.

Alberta’s New Land Use System

Roots of the LUF initiative Approach to land & resource management multiple use project-by-project approval, incrementalism impacts of individual projects mitigated cumulative effects difficult to deal with

Alberta’s New Land Use System Roots of the LUF initiative Approach to land & resource management anti-planning or laissez-faire approach to planning patchwork of policy and legal requirements “silo” based decision-making

Alberta’s New Land Use System What Albertans want… stronger provincial leadership better policy integration & coordination (land, water & air) greater clarity re: roles & responsibilities of land use decision-makers improved conflict resolution processes

Alberta’s New Land Use System What Albertans want… better land conservation & stewardship improved land use information sharing increased consultation & opportunities for public, stakeholders & aboriginal peoples to influence land use policies & decisions

Alberta’s New Land Use System

Structure – regional planning Regional Plan Regional Advisory Council Terms of Reference Land Use Secretariat Public Cabinet Approved Plan Sub-regional Plan Cabinet has complete control over the plan, ToR, and amendments.

Alberta’s New Land Use System Regulatory hierarchy Alberta Land Stewardship Act Other Acts Regional Plan Other Regulations “Super Regulation” If there is a conflict? Amends 27 other acts

Alberta’s New Land Use System Enforcement ALSA amends other acts Day to day decisions of municipalities and government Decisions must comply with Regional Plan Non-compliance Existing appeal processesComplaint to LUS Commissioner

Alberta’s New Land Use System Regulations & tools Top down completely – discretion lies with Cabinet –Challenges to court are limited Regulation making powers are broad –Include appeal mechanisms for public lands

Alberta’s New Land Use System Regulations & tools Conservation tools enabled –Conservation directive –Conservation easements – expanded to agricultural land –Conservation offsets –Tradable Development Credit

Alberta’s New Land Use System ELC’s assessment of ALSA Our vision: dedicated land use planning legislation –single, binding Act –administered by Cabinet & a separate administrative secretariat –all gov’t depts must conform –set out decision-making process for land use planning –assign planning responsibilities, create a clear decision-making hierarchy & require local land use decisions to conform to regional plans

Alberta’s New Land Use System ELC’s assessment of ALSA Our assessment: ALSA meets the basic elements more needed re: decision-making process for land use planning much is still to be determined by Cabinet: –Regional Advisory Councils –creation of the planning process –development and amendment of regional plans –content of regional plans

Alberta’s New Land Use System Development of regional plans Current (done 2010): –Lower Athabasca –South Saskatchewan Stage 2 (done 2011): –North Saskatchewan –Upper Athabasca Stage 3 (done 2012): –Red Deer –Upper Peace –Lower Peace

Alberta’s New Land Use System Development of regional plans SECRETARIAT & PROJECT TEAM CABINET REGIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE 3 stages of public input Initial info sessions Draft vision for plan Draft plan Aboriginal consultation separate

Alberta’s New Land Use System Elements of regional plans Regional profile Policy context Regional vision statement Regional outcomes Objectives & goals Strategies, actions, approaches Monitoring & reporting 50 year min. planning horizon 5-10 year effectiveness

Alberta’s New Land Use System Lower Athabasca plan scope Primary focus: economic development (oil sands; timber) Land conservation – boreal forest Water & air (NOx & SO2) thresholds Aboriginal traditional use

Alberta’s New Land Use System South Saskatchewan plan scope Population growth Water supply & demand Landscape conservation (Eastern slopes) Economic growth (agriculture; energy; forestry; recreation & tourism) Thresholds: surface water quantity & quality; air quality Aboriginal traditional use Major multi-use corridors

Alberta’s New Land Use System What else to watch for… Interim/transitional issues Implementation –How will province-wide agencies manage?

Alberta’s New Land Use System Support the ELC Registered charity – donations receive a tax receipt 100% of donations fund ELC public programs CRA Registration Number RR0001

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