Unit 4 - Land Dispositions
| Site: | MoodleHUB.ca 🍁 |
| Course: | Regulating Alberta's Forests [1cr] - AB Ed copy 1 |
| Book: | Unit 4 - Land Dispositions |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Sunday, 7 September 2025, 7:51 PM |
Information
- You will complete the following tasks and assignments in this unit:
- Read all Unit 4 content and view all associated videos, publications, etc.
- Complete 4.1 Quiz with a mark of 50% or higher
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you will be able to:- Explain a timber disposition and the different types of dispositions
- Explain how dispositions are used to manage activities on forested land
- Describe what non-timber dispositions are and who uses them
- Explain the process in obtaining a disposition
- Describe a reclamation certificate; explain the conditions necessary to obtain a reclamation certificate
Introduction
In Unit 1 we learned that Alberta has two major land designations: the White Area and the Green Area.
The White Area, which makes up 42% of the province, is mostly privately owned. Only about 25% of the White Area is public land, which
is managed the same way as public land in the Green Area.
The Green Area, which makes up about 58% of the province, is public land that is managed for timber production, watershed, fish and wildlife, recreation, energy development,
and other uses. When public land is suitable for agriculture and other uses, agricultural use is limited to grazing.
Competition for land that could be used for forestry is expected to increase and there is much interest about the use of public land in the White Area. At the same time, there is increased public pressure for sound forestry practices in both
areas.
The Alberta Government ensures that forest companies are responsible and monitored through the process of applying for Timber Dispositions and Reclamation Certificates.
Courtesy of Government of Alberta
Timber Dispositions
In Unit 1, we learned that timber rights are provided to companies by the provincial government. Timber rights are a type of disposition. Dispositions are how governments give individuals, companies, or organizations rights to use public land for a specific purpose. Dispositions include land-use contracts such as agreements, easements, leases, letters of authority, licences, permits, and quotas.
In Unit 1, we were introduced to the three forest dispositions, or tenure types, in Alberta:
- Forest Management Agreements (FMA)
- Timber Quota Licenses
- Timber Permits
Click each collapsible row to view information.
There are currently 20 Forest Management Agreements in Alberta.
Courtesy of the Government of Alberta
A Forest Management Agreement (FMA) is a long-term (20 year), renewable, secure tenure that must be in agreement with a Regional Land Use Plan. Through the FMA, a company is given certain rights, including the right to establish, grow, harvest, and remove Crown timber in exchange for various responsibilities, such as creating one or more Forest Management Plans (FMPs), and the creation and maintenance of a forest inventory within the areas of the FMA, all of which is overseen by the Alberta government.
A timber quota is a renewable type of forest tenure that lasts for 20 years.
There are 2 types of timber quotas in Alberta:
- Coniferous Timber Quota (CTQ)
- Deciduous Timber Allocation (DTA)
CTQs and DTAs give the rights to harvest a specific volume, which is a percentage of Annual Allowable Cut, (measured in timber volume) volume, of either coniferous or deciduous timber in a specific area. Timber quota holders can have a
CTQ and a DTA for the same area, at the same time.
Timber quotas holders are not responsible for the development of the Forest Management Plan but are expected to participate in the planning. They are, however, responsible for reforestation.
There are four types of Timber Permits.
Commercial Timber Permits (CTP)
- Permits to harvest timber that are purchased through competitive auctions or direct sales
- Rates are set by the Timber Management Regulation Board
- Permit may include coniferous and/or deciduous timber
Community Timber Program: Coniferous Community Timber Permits (CCTP)
- Permit to harvest coniferous timber that is awarded to local, eligible, small operators
- Fixed rate set by the Timber Management Regulation
Local Timber Permits (LTP)
- Valid for one year (expires April 30th of each year)
- Costs $21.00 plus a security deposit of $1000 that is refundable if there is no degradation to the site.
- Holder must also pre-pay timber dues and the reforestation levy on harvested volumes based on Timber Management Regulations
Forest Product Tags (FPT)
- Also called a TM66 permit
- The FPT is for small-scale, non-commercial or personal timber harvesting in a designated area
- Can be purchased online or at an Agriculture and Forestry Office
- Valid for 30 days
- Can remove:
- three Christmas trees under 2.5 meters in height
- OR
- 20 trees less than 2.5 meters in height for transplanting
- OR
- five cubic meters of timber (usually for firewood)
As noted, LTPs and FPTs are for non-commercial use, and are usually purchased for firewood. It is important for these permit holders to remember that mountain pine beetle infested trees must not be cut or transported for firewood.
Regardless of the type of tenure or disposition, the goal is to ensure that Alberta’s forests are looked after in such a way that they remain healthy and sustainable.
Non-Timber Dispositions
Dispositions are not just used for timber harvesting; they are also used for grazing, farm development, surface access for oil and gas, commercial use, or recreation. Like forest dispositions, there are many different types of non-timber dispositions (tenures) and application processes.
Forest dispositions overlap with multiple other dispositions. A company that has forest tenure may share an area with a grazing lease for cattle and an oil rig. The government, through Integrated Land-use Policies and the Land-use Framework, works with all tenure (disposition) holders to assist with decisions and ensure that all the holders work together guaranteeing the environment, including forest sustainability, watersheds, biodiversity and wildlife habitats, are considered along with social and environmental concerns.
Land Use Planning Hub
Integrated Land-use Management (ILM) and Land-use Framework
An eco-footprint is defined as the measurement of how much impact human activity has on the ecology of an area. Footprints can be temporary or permanent disturbances (eg: land clearings, roads, trails, well sites, industrial sites, etc.). Integrated Land-use Management uses a Land-use Framework to reduce the eco-footprint of disposition (tenure) holders. The framework is not a plan or a process, it is a way of working together to:
- share existing footprints
- reuse old footprints
- remove old footprints
- coordinate development to minimize the new footprint
Click each collapsible row to view videos.
Disposition Process
Status of Alberta’s Regional Plans Courtesy of Land Use Planning Hub
There is a process in place when applying for a disposition. This process ensures that the application is in agreement with the Regional Land-use Plan and Integrated Land Management Strategies (ILMs). We learned, in Unit 1, that Alberta is
broken up into Green Areas and White Areas. Alberta is also divided into seven Regional Land-use Plans. Each of these seven areas has Green Areas within them, and the regional plans reflect their distinct geographical, environmental, and
social-economical differences.
Land Use Planning Hub
The disposition process takes time, sometimes years, but ensures that all stakeholders’ concerns are heard.
Different dispositions have different requirements. As noted in the section on disposition types, smaller dispositions may simply be completed at a municipal or Agriculture and Forestry office. More complicated dispositions, such as a disposition for logging, may require many steps.
The hierarchy and relationship of provincial to municipal land use plans.
Courtesy of Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA), https://auma.ca/
Click each collapsible row to view information.
Pre-application planning helps determine if you want to proceed with planning and submitting an application before putting the work into an application. The pre-planning documents must be submitted with a disposition application for it to be accepted.
There are several levels and types of pre-planning that must be done for an application to be accepted. Some of these include:
- a Landscape Analysis using the Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT).
- The LAT identifies sensitive landscape features and how they interact with proposed activities. The report created is required for all Alberta Land disposition applications.
- a Land Standing Report
- This is a government report that can be purchased online and identifies existing stakeholders and potential conflicts.
- identification of water bodies and wetlands
- review of Alberta Land Stewardship Act and Land-use Framework Regional Plans to make sure that the disposition is in alignment with them
The information collected in Step 1 (Pre-Application) is used as a stepping-stone to
- complete a legal survey of the area, completed by a surveyor certified with the Alberta Surveyor’s Association.
- complete a Sensitive Species Survey
Once the disposition application is submitted, a file number for government contact is also applied for at this time.
The disposition application goes through two reviews. A technical review determines if all the technical information, such as land and sensitive species surveys, are done correctly. An administrative review makes sure the application is complete
and accurate.
If either review reveals something missing, the application is rejected and the applicant has to submit the disposition again with the corrected or missing information.
If the application is accepted, the government
agency provides public notice, often on websites and in newspapers, of the possibility of a disposition being awarded. This gives Albertans concerned about a particular application an opportunity to submit a "statement of concern," a written
submission that outlines specific concerns about an application. A statement of concern may be filed by anyone who believes they may be directly and adversely affected by an application.
Once an application submission has been accepted, the next step is to find out if a referral within or outside the Ministry of Agriculture and Forests is required for additional input. This may include referral to provincial government resource managers and municipalities, who review and identify any concerns related to their mandate. Their concerns are forwarded to the Merit Review to consider.
A merit review considers many factors, including whether the
- the land use is acceptable and in the best interest for that land base
- the proposed disposition is in compliance with Alberta land management regional plans
- the proposed disposition does not impact or conflict with any existing land uses or stakeholders
- the disturbance limits of applicable disturbance standards are being met
The government of Alberta staff work with the industries involved within the area to best minimize impacts to landscape sensitivities. The goal is to get consent from other stakeholders identified in the Land Standing Report. Stakeholders
may include First Nations and Métis, other industries, such as oil and gas, tourism, and special interest groups.
If the Merit Review finds that the disposition cannot work because of conflict, compliance, or environmental issues, the
application is rejected; otherwise, the application is sent to the director.
Finally, the Director of Forest Tenure for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry considers all surveys, studies, reviews, and referrals; the director then grants or rejects the disposition.
Check Your Understanding
Check your understanding by completing the following activity related to the four components and features of the Public Lands Application Process.
As noted in the image, try one of the three scenarios in Public Lands Application E-Course to prepare for 2.1 Assignment LAT.
Reclamation Certificate
Part of the Forest Management Plan is an Annual Work Schedule (AWS) outlining forest operations for the current year. This schedule includes where trees will be harvested, roads will be built, and reclamation is to be done.
Reclamation is restoring disturbed land to a healthy, resilient forest ecosystem, that includes establishing a desirable plant community based on the surrounding ecosystem. Not only is the harvested area reclaimed, but the roads used to
access the timber must also be restored. Reclamation of roads includes the permanent removal of water crossings; re-contouring of road crown and ditches; and reseeding or planting of the former right-of-way. Disposition holders, including Forestry
or Oil and Gas, may also work with other groups, such as First Nations or recreation groups in the reclamation process, taking their needs into consideration.
A variety of silviculture methods are used to restore the forests, including, but not limited to:
- preparing the site for reclamation
- planting trees or seeding
- thinning vegetation and spraying herbicide to remove competition for seedlings
- protecting the trees from insects and diseases
Click each coloured tab to view the videos.
The reclamation certificate is signed by a professional member with an association or college that licences professionals in reclamation. If a professional member prepares the document, it is authenticated by that member. If the document is prepared by someone else, the member must determine if they can rely on that document before completing professional sign-off on the reclamation certificate.
By signing-off on the reclamation certificate, the professional is indicating that they have supervised, reviewed, or surveyed the reclamation and it meets acceptable standards.
Reforestation is rigorously regulated by the Alberta Reforestation Standards Science Council. Every year, companies must report all of their harvesting and reforestation activities to maintain their license (disposition) to harvest timber. Plans and operations are audited on a regular basis to ensure that the forest is being managed in a sustainable manner. If the audit determines that operations are sustainable, products can carry the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) stamp, allowing products to be sold in most countries.
4.1 Assignment
LAT Report
Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT Report)
We learned in Unit 4 that the Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT) identifies sensitive landscape features and how they interact with proposed activities. The LAT creates a report that is required for all Alberta Land disposition applications.
In preparation for this assignment, you have already watched the Public Lands Application E-Course and answered some questions. Feel free to review the course again, if needed.
This assignment gives us some hands-on experience in using a real-world tool.
Part A: Scenario
You are a Forest Contract Consultant who specializes in helping Forest Companies apply for dispositions (leases) and develop their Forest Management Plans.
Before accessing the LAT, you will have to agree to the Government of Alberta Terms of Use.
Steps 2 to 6: Create a Landscape Analysis Report
Follow the steps in the Instruction Sheet to create a Landscape Analysis Report using the Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT).
Part B: Summarizing the LAT Report
- Select the preferred document type from the options below. Download and save the assignment on your desktop (or documents folder). If you are using a Google Doc, make a copy in your own Google Drive.
PDF Document Word Document Google Doc - Open this saved document.
- Enter your responses in the appropriate textboxes.
- When you have completed the assignment, save it on your desktop (or documents folder).
- Once you have completed your assignment, click on the button below to go to the submission page. Submit the assignment (summary) AND the LAT Report to your instructor.
Submission Page