Protecting valuable resources The Alberta Land Institute plans to study the impact on farmland from the rising population expected during the next 50 years
EDMONTON — With the Alberta population expected to double in the next 50 years, what’s going to happen to farmland?
It’s a question the new Alberta Land Institute hopes to answer in an effort to help protect the province’s valuable resource.
Executive director Andre Tremblay said a growing demand for land designed for many uses, including recreation, oil and gas activity, and municipal development, has made it important to look at what’s happening to farmland.
“There are all sorts of pressures on the landscape. It’s creating challenges in trying to balance environmental, economic and social objectives,” said Tremblay.
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The role of the institute is to identify land use challenges, policy gaps and issues that should be investigated.
“We want to identify mechanisms, policies and programs that can help improve land management,” he said.
The non-partisan research institute was made possible by a $4.9 million donation to the University of Alberta from Calgary philanthropist David Bisset, who grew concerned about the changes to Alberta’s landscape.
Four research areas were identified this fall to help kick start the project:
- evaluating mechanisms for wetland restoration and retention in Alberta
- assessing the implications of fragmentation and conservation of agricultural land in Alberta based on municipal development
- identifying tradeoffs and management options in the Alberta irrigation sector over the next 25 years
- assessing property rights and land use in Alberta
Tremblay hopes to offer solutions to landowners and policy makers that will result in better land management.
“We want to see land management that considers environmental, economical and social.”
He said there are many unanswered questions:
- how much land is fragmented as a result of municipal development?
- what is the rate of loss of agricultural land and what are the key drivers behind its loss?
- what are the tools that could be used to help stop that loss?
- what is the best way to restore wetlands?
“What we want to do is identify specific real gaps that exist in Alberta, then drive those very specific research questions and assemble those academic teams that can answer those questions,” he said.
“We then want to put options forward that policy makers and land users can consider.”
Tremblay said a lot of good land has been paved over, but it’s never too late to strengthen policies or better understand the impact of land management policies.
“There is still an opportunity to improve our land use system in the province and I am an optimist. I still think there is lots of great work that can be done.”
The institute will continue to meet with stakeholders about the most important land use questions.
“The challenge for us is to continue to identify relevant questions, but when we do have results, to communicate them clearly and effectively.”
