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Unit 2 - Government Legislation and Policies

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Course: Regulating Alberta's Forests [1cr] - AB Ed copy 1
Book: Unit 2 - Government Legislation and Policies
Printed by: Guest user
Date: Sunday, 7 September 2025, 7:45 PM

Table of contents

Information


  • Unit 2, Government Legislation, is designed to take approximately 3 hours.
  • You have the following tasks and assignments to complete in this unit.
    • Read Unit 2 and all associated videos, publications, etc.
    • Complete Quiz 2.1 with a mark of 50% or higher


Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you will be able to:
  • compare the variety of government legislation and regulations that oversee activities in Alberta’s forests.
  • describe the Land Use Framework of Alberta.
  • describe the Alberta Land Stewardship Act.
  • examine the short and long term effects of government legislation and regulations on Alberta’s forested land.

Introduction

Of the vast forested land in Canada, 90% is owned by the provinces and territories; this means there are many responsibilities when it comes to governing the provincial forested area. As you work through this course, you will notice that forest management planning is key to ensuring that our publicly owned forests remain healthy and are managed in a sustainable way. Both the provincial and federal governments have forest laws that ensure sustainable forest management practices are followed and that environmental, economic, social, and cultural forest values are balanced.

Watch this video to give you a brief overview of how forests are managed in Canada and Alberta.


Click to enlarge.
Government of Canada

Federal Government Legislation

Approximately 347 million hectares of Canada’s total land is forest land; this is about 40% of Canada’s total land of 979.1 million hectares. We learned that the majority of Canada’s forests are owned and managed by the provinces and territories and only 2% is owned by the federal government.  Although 2% might seem to be a small amount, there is still legislation in place that outlines the federal government’s responsibilities.

These include:
  • international trade in forest products
  • management of federal parks
  • treaties, political, and legal responsibilities for Indigenous people

Some of the federal laws that might apply include:
Click to enlarge.
Natural Resources Canada

Canadian Council of Forest Ministers

One of the leaders in setting a direction for sustainable forest management of Canada’s forests is the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers. Made up of the 14 provincial, territorial,  and federal ministers responsible for forests, they all work together to address areas of common interest and concern. The Council “released a long-term strategic vision for Canada’s forests that reaffirms the country’s commitment to sustainable forest management. A Vision for Canada’s Forests: 2008 and Beyond continues the leadership Canada has demonstrated for over 20 years through its previous forest strategies” in 2008.

In 2019, taking into account input from all Canadians and recognizing that the previous vision needed to be revised, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers developed A Shared Vision for Canada’s Forests: Toward 2030.


Provincial Government Legislation

Alberta’s forested land covers over half of the province, roughly 38 million hectares. Of that, 87% is Crown land, controlled by the Alberta government. The Department of Agriculture and Forestry manages development and sets policies and regulations for forested areas. They act under the authority of the Forests Act. In addition to developing and enforcing forest laws, they also manage the provincial parks and conservation areas. They also monitor activities of forest companies, ensuring that they are compliant with the laws and regulations.

It is the law in Alberta that all forestry activities must meet high sustainability standards; rigorous legislation, plans, and policies have been developed to demonstrate responsible stewardship. All plans must be approved by the provincial government to make sure all environmental regulations are followed and that forest values are maintained.

We will now explore the two most important governing bodies pertaining to Alberta’s forests: the Land Use Framework of Alberta and the Alberta Land Stewardship Act.

Pixabay

Watch this video introducing you to the next lesson of this unit.


 




Land-use Framework of Alberta


Alberta's Land-use Vision: "Albertans work together to respect and care for the land as the foundation of our economic, environmental, and social well-being."

Click each collapsible row to view more information.

Alberta's population is growing faster than ever. Its recent population boom has made it the fastest growing province in Canada. To accommodate this growth, and to sustain our quality of life for future generations, land-use decisions need to consider what is healthy for the economy, the environment, and our social lives.

We plan because we need to look ahead and consider where people will want to live, work, and play; we also plan to maintain the ecosystem, environmental integrity, and sustainability.  Regional planning is the best way to accomplish this by addressing the unique aspects of each region, within our province's land-use vision.

 

In December 2008, Alberta issued its Land-use Framework, thereby ushering in a new era of land-use planning within the province. It applies to all types of land, private and public, including forested lands.

The Framework's intent is to promote efficient use of the land for conservation purposes and to reduce the footprint of human activity on Alberta's landscape. It is about smart growth.

  1. Develop seven regional land-use plans based on seven new land-use regions.

  2. Create a land-use "Secretariat" and establish a Regional Advisory Council for each region.

  3. Use cumulative effects management at the regional level to manage the impacts of development on land, water, and air.

  4. Develop a strategy for conservation and stewardship on private and public lands.

  5. Promote efficient use of land to reduce the footprint of human activities on Alberta's landscape.

  6. Establish an information, monitoring, and knowledge system to contribute to continuous improvement of land-use planning and decision-making.

  7. Inclusion of Aboriginal peoples in land-use planning.


              Click on the image above to read Alberta's Land-Use Framework, courtesy of the Government of Alberta.


              Before we look more closely at the Land-use Framework of Alberta, it is important to know what a watershed is. If you are unsure, watch a short video that explains a watershed.




               

              Caring for Alberta's lands and forests the seven land-use regions.
              Government of Alberta

              Seven regions have been created under the Land-use Framework. These regions are based on Alberta's seven major watersheds, with boundaries aligned to fit existing municipal boundaries as well as natural regions.

              Alberta's Land-use Framework was a 2008 government initiative; to date, only two regional plans have been implemented. The chart below indicates the status of each regional plan as of 2020.


              Land Use Learning Hub

              Region Status Link to Information
              Lower Athabasca Regional Plan
              		 Approved in 2012 Lower Athabasca Regional Plan
              South Saskatchewan Regional Plan Approved in 2014
              Amended in 2017 and 2018
              		 South Saskatchewan Regional Plan
              North Saskatchewan Region
              		 Phase 2 in progress as of 2020
              		 North Saskatchewan Region
              Upper Peace Region
              		 Not started as of 2020
              		 Upper Peace Region
              Lower Peace Region
              		 Not started as of 2020
              		 Lower Peace Region
              Red Deer Region
              		 Not started as of 2020
              		 Red Deer Region
              Upper Athabasca Region
              		 Not started as of 2020
              		 Upper Athabasca Region

              The Alberta government must assess the regional planning progress to ensure objectives and outcomes are met. A system of monitoring, evaluating, and reporting is undertaken to determine the effectiveness of regional plans; for example, to determine if land-use strategies actually fulfill the regional plans' objectives and outcomes.

              Monitoring, evaluating, and reporting is an on-going cycle. It encourages continuous improvements in decision-making and actions to ensure future generations achieve the desired economic, environmental, and social outcomes in each planning region.

              At least once every five years, the regional plans will be reviewed to ensure they are meeting the outcomes and objectives; at least once every 10 years the plan undergoes an extensive review with possible outcomes of the plan being amended, replaced, renewed, or repealed.

              Courtesy of Inside Education

              Alberta Land Stewardship Act


              Pixabay

              In order for the province to create and implement the regional plans already discussed earlier in the lesson, the Alberta Land Stewardship Act was created in 2009.

              In general, the Alberta Land Stewardship Act states the vision and objectives for that region; it may also outline land-use policies, benchmarks, and actions to be taken. In this way, it creates more certainty for industry to plan their own activities and investments because the Alberta Land Stewardship Act will take priority over any other provincial legislation or plans.  When regional plans are in place, industry will know how their activities fit within that plan.


              Click each collapsible row to view more information.

              The purposes of the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA) will be more specifically stated in the next parts of this unit. For now, here are the four major goals of the Act, simply stated:

              • To identify Alberta's economic, environmental, and social objectives pertaining to the use of our forests.
              • To provide a plan to meet the forest-use needs of future generations of all people.
              • To coordinate the decisions made by planners concerning people, resources, and environment.
              • To respond to cumulative effects of human activity on our forests so as to enable sustainable development.


              Keeping in mind what you have learned earlier in the lesson (example, Alberta's Land-use Framework), it is important to understand the following four important functions of the Alberta Land Stewardship Act and its accompanying regulations:

              • It establishes the legislative foundation for the Land-use Framework.
              • It provides authority for the development and approval of Alberta's seven regional plans.
              • It establishes a Land-use Secretariat to support the development and implementation of the regional plans.
              • It has an impact on municipal government planning and plans conducted by Forest Management Agreement holders.

              The purposes of the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA) are explicitly stated within subsection (2) of the Act, and are quoted here:

              • To provide a means by which the Government can give direction and provide leadership in identifying the objectives of the province of Alberta, including economic, environmental and social objectives.
              • To provide a means to plan for the future, recognizing the need to manage activity to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of current and future generations of Albertans, including Aboriginal peoples.
              • To provide for the co-ordination of decisions by decision makers concerning land, species, human settlement, natural resources and the environment.
              • To create legislation and policy that enable sustainable development by taking account of and responding to the cumulative effect of human endeavour and other events.

              Land stewardship reduces our environmental footprint.
              Pixabay


              The Alberta Land Stewardship Act respects the property rights of individual land owners.
              Pixabay
              The Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA) applies to all public and privately-owned land in the province, forested or otherwise. Its scope is far-reaching in nature, affecting many other provincial laws. No fewer than 27 of Alberta's legislative acts pertaining to its lands and natural resources were amended to support it.

              Regarding privately-owned land, the Alberta Land Stewardship Act supports the strategies in the Land-use Framework: that we all share responsibility for the management of our lands and that we be good stewards of our land and natural resources. However, this does not mean that Alberta's government can act as it likes when dealing with private lands. The Alberta Land Stewardship Act clearly states that:

              "In carrying out the purposes of this Act as specified in subsection (2), the Government must respect the property and other rights of individuals and must not infringe on those rights except with due process of law and to the extent necessary for the overall greater public interest."

              Additionally, the Alberta Land Stewardship Act’s accompanying stewardship regulations provide clear rules regarding the implementation of regional plans, and make it clear that the government will always respect all existing property rights.

              Private landowners have various supports available to them to help restore and protect Canada’s land and water, such as Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, etc.

              Previously in the lesson, you learned that, under the Land-use Framework, the Alberta government has created seven land-use regions based on seven watershed regions within the province. For each of these regions, the Alberta Land Stewardship Act stipulates that a land-use plan will be developed. Throughout the development of each plan, there will be consultation with the public, stakeholders, and Indigenous peoples.

              In recognition of the unique resources, landscape, and priorities of each region, each plan will set out regional land-use objectives and provide decision-making guidelines pertinent to that particular region; for example, recreational land-use might be a higher priority for forested lands than for agricultural lands.

              Government of Alberta


              Figure 1
              WOLF/Integrated Resource Management
              Wildlife requirements, including habitat, must be considered in regional plans where needed. Note the development in Figure 1; care has been taken to allow fish to pass through the barrier.

              In addition, the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute monitors more than 2,000 species and habitats, providing information for decision-making about land-use planning.

              Pixabay




              Forest Facts

              You certainly know that homes are made from wood products, but did you know that there are many household items that are also made from wood products?

              Click on each picture to discover whether it is made from wood products.

              Pop-up title Aspirin contains wood products.

              Salicin or Salycitic Acid: A pain-relieving compound called Salicin can be found in Willow Bark. This was often harvested and used by Aboriginal peoples; today, Salicin can be produced in labs and is found in Aspirin.

              Cellulose: Cellulose is a combination of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen that make up a plant cell wall. Cellulose is added to medicines, like Aspirin, as a filler to deliver small doses of medicine in pill form.
              Asprin Aspirin contains wood products.

              Salicin or Salycitic Acid: A pain-relieving compound called Salicin can be found in Willow Bark. This was often harvested and used by Aboriginal peoples; today, Salicin can be produced in labs and is found in Aspirin.

              Cellulose: Cellulose is a combination of oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen that make up a plant cell wall. Cellulose is added to medicines, like Aspirin, as a filler to deliver small doses of medicine in pill form.

              Pop-up title Crayons contain wood products. 
              Carnauba: Many crayons are either partially or entirely made from carnauba wax. This wax is collected from the leaves of the Carnauba Palm tree.

              Crayons Crayons contain wood products.

              Carnauba: Many crayons are either partially or entirely made from carnauba wax. This wax is collected from the leaves of the Carnauba Palm tree.
              Pop-up title Crayons contain wood products. 
              Carnauba: Many crayons are either partially or entirely made from carnauba wax. This wax is collected from the leaves of the Carnauba Palm tree.

              Towels Towels contain wood products.

              Rayon: Some towels are a material called Rayon, which is made from wood cellulose. Rayon is soft and has high absorbency, which allows it to hold a significant amount of liquid while maintaining its texture and shape. 

              Images courtesy of Work Wild, www.workwild.ca


              2.1 Quiz

              Government Legislation

              It is now time to complete 2.1 Quiz. Click on the button below to go to the quiz page.

              2.1 Quiz