Integrated Resource Plans

Integrated Resource Plans are place-based plans that identify objectives for long-term management of specific landscapes.

Overview

Integrated Resource Plans (IRPs):

  • represent the Government of Alberta’s resource management policy for public lands and resources within defined areas
  • identify resource potentials and opportunities for development
  • provide guidance for decision-makers, industry, and the public having responsibility or interests in the area

In addition to IRPs, Regional Integrated Decisions (RIDS) are smaller scale planning documents developed to address specific or urgent issues and resolve local land-use management conflicts.

IRPs and RIDs have provided land and resource direction for over 30 years, however these plans lack adaptive management. As a result:

  • current land-use activities may be absent in the plans
  • some plans reflect management intent that no longer applies and/or is not relevant
  • some plan provisions do not align with and/or have been replaced by present Government of Alberta policy and legislation

Land-use Framework, regional planning, and IRPs

Alberta’s Land-use Framework (LUF) sets out an approach to manage our province’s public land and natural resources:

  • the Alberta Land Stewardship Act supports LUF and establishes the legal basis for the development of seven new land-use regions and development of a regional plan for each
  • LUF provides a clear planning hierarchy that includes regional, subregional, issue specific, and local plans to ensure efficiencies and clarity for decision-makers
  • under LUF, all planning documents (for example, IRPs) are to be consistent with new strategic direction in regional plans and there will be a requirement to align all land use decisions with Regional Plan objectives and outcomes
  • with the introduction of regional plans, IRPs and RIDS will remain in effect until they have been reviewed for their relevance and incorporated as appropriate under regional plans, future subregional plans, issue-specific plans or current legislation, regulation or policy.

You can find more information about regional planning in the Land-use Framework.

IRP list

The following list identifies the IRPs and RIDs from across the Province:

A to C

D to G

J to N

P to W

GIS spatial data/map files

Visit the GeoDiscover Alberta website to find, view, and access Integrated Resource Plan maps and geographic information.

Contact

Connect with staff from the Planning Branch office contact: [email protected].