BANFF, Alta. – From Harvey Buckley’s point of view, the world’s economic strength depends on six inches of topsoil.
“While Albertans and Canadians enjoy one of the highest standards of living in the world, that standard is supported by the land and ranchers’ production on that land,” he said at a recent meeting of the Alberta agrologists association annual meeting in Banff.
The Cochrane, Alta., rancher and president of the land protection group, Action for Agriculture, is a longtime advocate of establishing a land-use strategy for Alberta before food production is sacrificed in favour of industry and housing developments.
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He worries that municipal land-use plans are often inadequate at a time when farms and ranches need local political support. Fewer councillors are involved in agriculture and may prefer to approve other developments to get extra tax revenue to support services for new country residences and industries.
He believes agriculture producers should be compensated for protecting the land, as well as providing services like carbon sequestration, allowing pipelines and other activities.
“We have to review the values of what we are doing. We are operating at this time with no plan whatsoever,” Buckley said.
Public hearings on a provincial land- use plan should start this spring, said Morris Seiferling, assistant deputy minister of the sustainable resources development department.
The Alberta government’s 2005-08 business plan said a land-use policy is needed. Seven different ministries are joining the public meetings and will help draft a proposal by year end.
The government wants a provincial framework rather than a specific plan for each quarter section of land so decision makers can move ahead. Local communities need to be involved and everyone may not agree with the final decisions, Seiferling said.
The vice-president of western operations for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers agrees political direction and a planning model are needed.
David Pryce said a plan is needed where outcomes are monitored because policies in the past failed to give direction to those using the land.
Pryce wants political leadership with a public sector capable of policy development and land-use planning. These people need to be hired now and one minister needs to champion it.
While there has been erosion in the public’s trust of institutions to make the right decisions, someone needs to step forward and assume leadership.
“People are looking for leadership. We could consensus them to death,” said Brian Bietz.
Bietz is a former member of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board and past chair of the Natural Resources Conservation Board.
Land-use decisions could perhaps be a new role for the NRCB provided significant training on technical details is provided for staff, he said.
For example, regulations for the coalbed methane industry are coming in the future.
Last year, about 3,000 wells were drilled and more are coming. By the time the regulations are complete, the industry will have already built the infrastructure.
Furthermore, the mineable oilsands policy is incomplete but the Fort McMurray area is boiling over with activity, he said.
In a special paper prepared for the agrologists’ meeting, Bietz looked at new ways for Alberta’s 3.2 million people to use the land more wisely as conflicts escalate.
Agriculture, forestry and energy are the main industries.
Energy exploration affects them all.
Last year, the EUB processed 50,000 applications for wells, pipelines and other facilities.
A common complaint is levelled when decisions are made on single application but not on existing activity, so cumulative effects are ignored.
First, a better land-use database is required so planners have a handle on existing activity.
From there, policy can be developed to identify goals along with the acceptance of tradeoffs as industries compete for a limited land base.
“The rate of development in Alberta has largely outstripped the land’s ability to support all users and it is no longer possible to integrate every use of the land in a single landscape,” Bietz said. “We can no longer put everything on every piece of land. There still remains an innate belief that infinite growth is possible.”
As this process begins, Albertans will expect to be involved in future decisions and will demand reasons for decisions.
The public must also be convinced that decisions will be respected and carried out.
Political leadership is critical at this point but future political inference must be removed, Bietz said. Further, a clear mandate is required for government departments because they are often expected to be advocates for an industry as well as its regulators.
This is the case in the Sustainable Resource Development department responsible for forestry, public lands, fish and wildlife. These groups are often in conflict with each other.
Agriculture advocates for all forms of agriculture and promotes the rural lifestyle, which often places country residents at odds with farmers or ranchers.
