A review of Alberta public lands and grazing leases is slated to start this summer.
Open meetings to review regulation of government-owned lands will be held throughout the province and the public presentations will be used to draw up recommendations to streamline regulations and later produce a revised public lands act. Revisions to the act will be available for further public comment in 1998, said a government release.
The review focuses on lands managed by Alberta Agriculture. Public lands that are deemed non-agricultural and managed by Alberta Environment are not included in the review.
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Grazing leases represent the largest share of agricultural dispositions issued on public lands. Dispositions are land use contracts for agriculture, recreation, industrial or commercial uses.
For the agricultural community, the largest issues are public access to leased lands and rental rates. An Alberta court of appeal ruled last year that a renter has the right to control who enters property leased from the province.
As well, the Alberta Cattle Commission and the Western Stock Growers Association have started a study that reviews the total costs of holding a lease.
The study will compare the cost of operating on agricultural leases to those operating on deeded land. The study should be ready for presentation to the committee this fall.
The two groups will also make recommendations to the government for compensation for oil and gas activity, seismic explorations, logging and removal of sand and gravel.
Environmental and wildlife groups’ greatest concern with a new public lands act is the possibility some land might be sold to private interests that may not manage the land as well as it was when it was held publicly, said Andy von Busse, president of the Alberta Fish and Game Association.
“In general we’re opposed to having crown land turned over to the private sector,” he said.
