ECA Review 2024-02-22
ECA Review 2024-02-22
ECA Review 2024-02-22
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<strong>ECA</strong> REVIEW HANNA/CORONATION/STETTLER, AB February <strong>22</strong>'24 13<br />
BREEDERS’ SECTION<br />
Renewable energy projects an exception in MGA<br />
Cont’d from Pg 11<br />
To date, only two of the<br />
regions, the South<br />
Saskatchewan Regional<br />
Plan (SSRP) and the Lower<br />
Athabasca Regional Plan<br />
(LARP), have successfully<br />
completed their regional<br />
plans.<br />
Intention of the LUF<br />
The Alberta Land-use<br />
Framework (LUF) intends<br />
to address the complex and<br />
interconnected challenges<br />
related to land use planning<br />
and management, sustainable<br />
development, the<br />
conservation of natural<br />
resources, the protection of<br />
ecosystems and to ensure<br />
the well-being of<br />
communities.<br />
Some of the specific problems<br />
it aims to solve include:<br />
Fragmentation of continuous<br />
agricultural land.<br />
A more integrated<br />
approach to land use planning<br />
that considers<br />
cumulative effects, not only<br />
focused on economy.<br />
Environmental degradation<br />
and habitat loss.<br />
Conflicts between land<br />
use, agriculture, energy<br />
development, forestry, and<br />
recreation.<br />
Indigenous and other<br />
community members rights<br />
and interests and the importance<br />
of engagement with all<br />
groups when making land<br />
planning decisions.<br />
Ensure the integrity of<br />
irrigation and other infrastructure<br />
investments.<br />
Land Stewardship Act<br />
The Alberta Land<br />
Stewardship Act<br />
(ALSA) established the legal<br />
basis and guidance for the<br />
development of regional<br />
planning and management<br />
under the Land-Use<br />
Framework and dictates the<br />
province’s guiding principles<br />
and goals for land-use<br />
planning.<br />
ALSA acknowledges the<br />
purpose of land planning in<br />
maintaining agricultural<br />
land to support farming<br />
while also preserving the<br />
right of property owners to<br />
make decisions related to<br />
their operations.<br />
To this end, in 2011 the<br />
Government of Alberta<br />
amended ALSA to contain<br />
clear language related to the<br />
need to respect both property<br />
rights and other rights<br />
of landowners.<br />
Regional planning /<br />
renewables<br />
In Alberta, the provincial<br />
government defers land use<br />
decisions on private land to<br />
municipalities through their<br />
legislative authority.<br />
This is done through<br />
the Municipal Government<br />
Act (MGA) which directs<br />
activities, developments and<br />
uses on private land. This<br />
authority is enacted under<br />
municipal statutory plans<br />
and bylaws and is required<br />
to follow the LUF regional<br />
plans.<br />
The MGA provides the<br />
basis for the provincial government<br />
to supersede any<br />
municipal planning that<br />
goes against regional plans.<br />
The exception to this is<br />
renewable energy projects,<br />
which are explicitly exempt<br />
from the authority of the<br />
municipalities under the<br />
MGA through section 619(1),<br />
which excludes licenses,<br />
permits or approval by the<br />
Alberta Utilities<br />
Commission (AUC) from the<br />
requirement to align decisions<br />
with municipal<br />
statutory plans.<br />
The South Saskatchewan<br />
Regional Plan (SSRP) outlines<br />
numerous strategies to<br />
support key environmental,<br />
economic and social outcomes<br />
for the region.<br />
Additionally, it addresses<br />
the importance of maintaining<br />
the agricultural<br />
land base by minimizing<br />
fractionation and conversa-<br />
tion of agricultural lands.<br />
The SSRP also seeks to ensure policies<br />
are in place to promote new<br />
investments in renewable energy,<br />
however there is not specific direction<br />
provided on how to achieve both<br />
outcomes.<br />
Municipalities may express their<br />
concerns but have no authority to prohibit<br />
any activities as the AUC is the<br />
decision maker. As a result, there is no<br />
municipal planning or policy which<br />
provides direction on land use activities<br />
which AUC must consider when<br />
making decisions on private land.<br />
Many believe that since municipalities<br />
have been given legal authority<br />
and responsibility by the province to<br />
direct this framework, they should not<br />
be exempt from having some oversight<br />
related to renewable energy projects.<br />
Solar projects particularly are projected<br />
to have a fast rate of growth<br />
using large areas of prime agricultural<br />
land and potentially land with<br />
irrigation infrastructure.<br />
Why you should get involved<br />
Farmers as landowners should consider<br />
getting involved with the<br />
regional planning process.<br />
Providing input to land use framework<br />
regional plans in Alberta is<br />
essential because it ensures that the<br />
plans are informed by local perspective,<br />
address specific regional needs,<br />
enhance legitimacy and identify<br />
potential issues and solutions.<br />
This would also foster collaboration<br />
and partnership among stakeholders<br />
and communities.<br />
There are several regional planning<br />
processes underway.<br />
Alberta Grains will continue to<br />
monitor the status of ongoing or<br />
upcoming reviews in: Lower<br />
Athabasca, South Saskatchewan and<br />
North Saskatchewan. Through our<br />
Agri-Environmental<br />
Partnership of Alberta<br />
(AEPA) we are also preparing<br />
to respond to ongoing<br />
and new planning<br />
processes.<br />
For more information<br />
visit: landuse.alberta.ca/<br />
Pages/default.aspx<br />
Fragmentation<br />
Fragmentation occurs<br />
when once contiguous<br />
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Further Beginning info: March<br />
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countridgeredangus.ca Beginning March or dlms.ca<br />
Or: Beginning 403-641-<strong>22</strong>05 March<br />
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agricultural areas become<br />
divided into separate fragments<br />
isolated from each<br />
other by non-agricultural<br />
land uses.<br />
Fragmentation can also<br />
occur within a given agricultural<br />
parcel of land by<br />
access roads, oil and gas or<br />
other energy developments<br />
and/or linear<br />
infrastructure.<br />
Celebrating<br />
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years<br />
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years<br />
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Or: 403-641-<strong>22</strong>05<br />
years<br />
2019 Alberta<br />
Associati<br />
Purebred Br<br />
of the Ye<br />
<strong>2<strong>02</strong>4</strong> Growing Season Varieties<br />
Peas: AAC Carver<br />
Barley: Esma, CDC Austenson, AAC Connect<br />
Wheat: AAC Brandon, AAC Hockley,<br />
AAC Wheatland VB
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