Review, Variance And Compensation Under The Alberta Land Stewardship Act And Release Of The Updated Draft Lower Athabasca Regional Plan

The Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA) was proclaimed in October 2009 and subsequently amended in May 2011. The ALSA divides the Province of Alberta into seven regions and gives Cabinet the authority to make land-use plans for each region (regional plans). The ALSA also creates several policy tools, such as conservation directives which can be used to set aside specific parcels of land under regional plans in order to permanently protect, conserve, manage and enhance environmental, natural scenic, esthetic or agricultural values.

The powers created under the ALSA are broad and have far-reaching implications for industry participants in Alberta. That said, the implementation of the ALSA through regulations and regional plans is an ongoing process that is influenced by stakeholder concerns. It is important for industry participants to keep abreast of the continuing developments in this area to ensure that their interests are properly considered by government,