Table of contents

Terms used in reference to recreational access to agricultural public land.

Agricultural disposition Public land under agreement for agricultural use, including:
  • Cultivation permit (CUP)
  • Farm development lease (FDL)
  • Forest grazing license (FGL)
  • Grazing lease (GRL)
  • Grazing permit (GRP)
  • Hay permit, (HAP)
  • Head tax permit (HTG and HTW)
Contact A person who has been designated by the leaseholder to respond to access requests. The contact person may or may not be the leaseholder.
Disposition The final legal authority for use of public land.
Freehold Refers to the ownership status of a parcel of land. Freehold land is privately owned by an individual or company (not owned by the government).
Land Description A standard method of identifying specific parcels of land according to the Alberta Township Survey incorporating Meridian, Ranges, Townships, Sections, or Plan, Blocks, and Lots.
Layers Digital information that appears on the map as images. When using the Recreational Access Website, the appropriate box in the legend must be checked off to view the layer.
Metes and bounds The description of the boundaries a parcel of land by measurement distance and natural or man-made boundaries.
Public Land Provincial lands owned by the provincial government and administered under the authority of the Public Lands Act.
Quarter section A square parcel of land consisting of four legal subdivisions, containing approximately 160 acres.
Ranges Between the meridians are columns called ranges that are numbered in consecutive order moving westward from each meridian.
Recreational access management plan Government approved plan that specifies conditions of recreational use on public land.

The recreational access management plan can include a limit for the number of recreational users accessing the area and other conditions to protect the land from overuse.
Section A square parcel of land consisting of four quarter sections containing approximately 640 acres.
Township Rows that cross meridians and ranges, starting at the U.S. Border with #1 and ending at the Northwest Territories Border with #126. (Usually approximately 6 miles apart.)