Important notice

Effective June 16, 2022, a Public Land Standing Report will no longer provide or display information regarding active land use reservations. Crown land reservation data as managed through the Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS), pushes data to a separate database and into the Alberta Geospatial Services Platform (AGSP). This data is also integrated into other existing systems, such as the Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT), GeoDiscover, OneStop Public Map Viewer and other GIS based tools.

This change was made to support updates initiated through the Land Use Reservation Program review. As part of the normal regulatory application process, proponents will be able to access existing or proposed reservation information through AGSP, LAT or OneStop to inform their application should a proposed activity intersect with an active reservation.

To augment planning processes of users of public land, Forestry and Parks – the ministry has created the ability to generate 2 types of reservation reports:

  • Reservation Report by Alberta Township System (ATS) Location:
    • Within a standardized format, the report will provide a listing of reservations as located within a defined land list.
  • Reservation Report by Reservation:
    • Within a standardized format, the report will provide reservation details based on the reservations listed.

These reports are being made available as an additional method to identify reservations and their associated information, so users have appropriate information for planning activities.

For more information, reference the How to access information on Crown land reservations section.

Land Use Reservation Program

Release of the Land Use Reservation Program Directive signals a reaffirmation and update to the use of reservations and the supporting program as a key land management tool. The directive provides a framework for the use of Crown Land Reservations to responsibly manage Crown land for intended outcomes.

The Land Use Reservation Program Procedures Guide provides guidance to any person involved in an application for a Crown land reservation and ensures the correct administrative procedure aligns with the Land Use Reservation Program Directive. The guide provides information on the steps involved in applying for a Crown land reservation, the structure and key components of land use reservations, and how Crown land reservations are to be identified and addressed when applying for an authorization to undertake an activity on Alberta's Crown lands.

Land Use Reservation Program overview

All public land is owned by the Crown and administered by the minister responsible for the Public Lands Act. Reservations created by the minister for other ministries, agencies and external applicants are managed under the reservation program on their behalf.

A reservation can:

  • indicate where communication with a reservation holder is required before any commitment is made on Crown land
  • indicate specific or detailed requirements regarding the use of Crown land
  • prohibit specific land use activities on Crown land

What a reservation is

A reservation or Crown land reservation means a record within the public land registry that identifies and provides notice to users that a specified management intent as supported by policy and government programs applies to a parcel of crown land.

For additional clarity, a reservation is not a disposition, does not grant any rights to public land or rights to access or occupy public land or rights to the resources on the land or under it.

The information within a reservation helps applicants make informed decisions when considering planning and seeking authorization for any Crown land use activity they wish to undertake on Crown lands.

Reservation information also informs regulatory decision-makers about key management objectives on Crown land. For example, the presence of a reservation on a particular parcel of land may affect whether a proposed activity on that land should be authorized or how it could be mitigated to align with the management outcomes for that parcel of land.

How to Apply for a Crown land reservation (CLR)

Available applications for a CLR includes new, amendment, review or cancellation forms.

Step 1: Before you apply for a CLR

Before submitting an application, applicants should consider the following:

  • Review the Land Use Reservation Program Directive for alignment to the policy.
  • Review the Land Use Reservation Program Procedures guide to inform eligibility and the preparation of your application.
  • Where a reservation may be complex (for example, restricting activities or access), ensure affected government ministries or agencies have been briefed.
  • Prepare a shapefile representing the spatial extent of your reservation. Ensure any overlapping conflicts are considered.
  • If there are questions, inquiries can be submitted to [email protected].

Step 2: Create login to DRAS

To access DRAS, all users will require a valid Alberta.ca Account or MyAlberta Digital ID for Business (MADI-B) account.

For more information visit:

To create a DRAS profile, you will use your Alberta.ca Account or MyAlberta Digital ID for Business (MADI-B) credentials. In an effort to support business continuity and timely responses, use a shared email account as your main point of contact and familiarize yourself with shared mailbox best practices.

If you hold an existing reservation, and you are creating your DRAS profile for the first time, you will be asked to identify your existing client ID (a 10-digit unique identifier assigned to individuals or companies conducting business with the Government of Alberta). You may continue to use existing client IDs in creation of the Alberta.ca Account/MADI-B account. More information will be located in Knowledge/FAQ section within DRAS.

A client ID is required to hold a reservation on Crown land. Applicants who need to request a client ID or existing holders who need to update their contact information must complete the Client ID Application/Amendment Form and attach valid proof of identification.

Step 3: Submit a LURP application (new, amendment, review or cancellation)

Once logged in under your MADI-B account, on the DRAS home page, select Submit an Application then, the Land Use Reservation Application category. From here you will be able to identify the 4 different LURP application forms: new, amendment, review or cancellation. Once you select and fill out the appropriate form and submit, you will be notified of progress of your application status and the ability to perform any additional tasks by logging into your DRAS account and receiving email notifications of updates through your DRAS profile contact information.

The new digital application process was designed with the following objectives in mind:

  • online, structured application and referral process for faster time to decision
  • electronic tracking of notifications, tasks, and status of application
  • statutory decision maker review to increase confidence in the program
  • time-bound, policy-backed decisions to make it easier for regulators and applicants to interact with reservations
  • reliable, consistent data shared with multiple regulators to support integrated land use decisions

You will find additional tips and resources for completing a reservation application through Knowledge/FAQ section located in DRAS. For example, within DRAS, type reservation into the search bar and you will find relevant knowledge articles such as How to Apply for a Reservation Amendment.

The following list of Knowledge Articles are accessible to familiarize yourself with the new LURP application process:

Step 4: After you submit your application

Once an application is submitted, it is assigned to a statutory decision maker within the ministry for review. Upon submission of an application, regulatory systems will notify the applicant with a copy of the completed application form and an assigned CLR number.

The ministry will evaluate the application in its entirety and refer the application to internal and external agencies for input as needed. More detailed information may be requested from the applicant depending on the complexity of the reservation and level of land use restriction.

Based on all the information gathered and assessments made during the application review stages, the statutory decision maker will determine whether to issue, or refuse to issue the reservation. A notice of decision will be sent to the applicant to the DRAS profile contact information. If refusal is being considered, discussions will typically have occurred between the statutory decision maker and the applicant. Decision timelines may vary depending on the complexity of the application and impacts to affected stakeholders, ministries and agencies.

How to access information on Crown land reservations

Applicants looking to obtain a disposition on public lands must follow regulatory processes as informed by the regulatory body. Reservation data has been incorporated into those processes which are specific to each regulator.

Regulatory processes

The regulators have designed existing spatial tools such as the Landscape Analysis Tool or the OneStop Public Map Viewer found on Alberta Energy Regulator’s website to contain reservation information that will inform disposition application. These tools allow you to identify and view CLRs that intersects a proposed activity so an applicant can complete any required pre-application requirements.

The department continues to manage processes and work on modifications to databases as related to this program. Any feedback is welcome on the LURP team’s mailbox, [email protected].

Reservation reports

Reservation reports have been designed as an additional tool to assist applicants in the identification of reservations on the land. Depending on the situation, users can generate reports based on a defined ATS land listing or based on a specific reservation number.

For directions on how to generate the reports, reference the following:

Downloadable services available

Users of ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS pro can access Crown land Reservation feature classes in the BaseMapping and BaseFeatures enterprise geodatabases. It is also accessible via Layer Manager.

Crown land reservation data can be accessed and spatial data downloaded via services at:

When accessing the Crownland Reservation Layer, under application or active reservations will be displayed with their associated data attributes. This means, users will be able to view and assess existing or proposed reservation information that could influence their application if a proposed activity intersects. Historical or cancelled reservations can also be viewed under the Cancelled layer, if necessary.

Other GIS viewer updates

Other web-based GIS viewers that show disposition data has been updated to show Crown land reservations. Updated viewers include:

  • ACL
  • ACIMT
  • AltaBase
  • Alberta Geospatial Services Platform (AGSP)
  • CE-DST
  • Disposition Spatial Processing Tool (DSPT)
  • FireWeb
  • FWIMT
  • GeoCulture
  • Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT)
  • Parks
  • PHAP

Identifying and addressing reservations in regulatory processes

  • Regulatory applicant responsibilities

    If you are an applicant seeking a regulatory authorization, it is your responsibility to be aware of any reservations intersected by your proposed activity, and if required, address the reservation requirements to meet requirements of regulatory application.

    Applicants prior to application, need to perform the following steps:

    1. Reference the Crownland Reservation layer.
    2. If the proposed activity intersects one or more reservations, assess if the activity affects one of the identified Sectors.
      • If your sector is identified, it is your responsibility to complete or address the identified Action.
      • Submissions to reservation holders should clearly articulate what is the proposed activity and the surface extent or footprint.
      • If your sector is not identified, then no further action is required of this reservation.
    3. If you have already addressed the reservation requirements prior to this updated release, the applicant may provide those documents and information as justification in meeting the identified Action.

    Should an applicant have any questions, they can contact their appropriate regulatory regional office to assess any impacts to an upcoming proposed application.

  • Contacting reservation holders

    As the department continues to transition within the new Data Management Platform (DMP), and as reservation holders update contact information, key historical information remains available. Applicants can reference the historical reservation number or the new Crown Land Reservation (CLR) number (for example, CLR221234) and obtain contact information within the Remarks or Company fields of the reservation data attributes.

    For purposes of fulfilling reservation requirements, the most efficient way to identify a reservation’s contact information is by referencing Contact, Email, Remarks, and Company fields associated to the reservation holder.

    If the reservation is held by a government entity, the Client ID information may be tied to a past organization name. If this is the case, an applicant should reference contact information as found online through their website related to the current department that now holds the reservation. For example, type in Alberta Environment and Protected Areas or Forestry and Parks contacts and our website will identify the various program area contact sources for you to use as it relates to the purpose of the reservation.

    All documented attempts to contact a reservation holder will demonstrate an applicant’s efforts to make contact during a regulatory application process. If these steps have been exhausted, and no response can be obtained, application submissions can be permitted. The reviewing regulatory body will assess if the aspects of the reservation process have been satisfied and if further contact is not required.

    Ongoing efforts are being made by reservation holders to update contact information within existing reservations and associated databases now that the DRAS LURP digital system is active.

  • Reservation holder responsibilities

    • Respond to requests by regulatory applicants or regulators within the timelines allotted or request more time. For example, if the reservation indicates the Action for Clearance for a particular Sector, your responsibility will be to respond to a clearance request from an applicant within the associated regulator’s timelines.
    • If clearance is required, and concerns are identified, the reservation holder should provide direction to the applicant to mitigate impacts and if unable, then provide detailed reasons as to why clearance was not provided as informed by the overall management intent and/or why it could not be mitigated.
    • Should a reservation holder fail to respond to a request within established timelines, an applicant may still submit a regulatory application with proof of attempted contact, to which the receiving regulatory body will assess if further steps are required to manage the impacted reservation.

Crown land reservation characteristics

Here are the new and important database characteristics of a Crown Land Reservation:

  • Crown Land Reservation (CLR)

    This new type will be established for existing and new reservations within the database and reflected in spatial layers. Historical reservation numbers will be retained for reference as all users become more familiar with CLR identification numbers.

  • Government Dispositions (DRS, PRS, RDS)

    Refer to the Government of Alberta dispositions web page for more information.

  • Actions

    Actions are selected to inform both applicants and regulatory agencies as to the specific requirements required to achieve the objectives of the management intent as well as inform regulatory processes.

    Actions must be met as part of the regulatory application process, or the application may not be accepted or deemed incomplete.

    Consequently, Actions can have serious planning or cost implications for proponents, stakeholders and other land users, therefore understanding reservation requirements early in the planning or application stage alleviates these implications.

    Reservations and their associated Actions can vary as applied to different Sectors. Accordingly, more than one Action can be applied to each reservation.

  • Sectors

    Adapted from past restriction and exemption codes, these database characteristics indicate the specific sector identified to complete the assigned action(s) as defined within a reservation type. Applicants of an identified sector are required to complete identified actions to meet regulatory application processes.

  • Management Intent

    This is detailed context about the reservation land management objectives or outcomes that are to be achieved for the subject land. This information drives awareness for users of Crown land as they plan to make regulatory application. A regulatory applicant when planning their activity should ensure the management intent of the reservation is maintained. This will ensure no conflicts at time of application.

    The management intent objectives and outcomes also informs regulatory agencies as they make regulatory decisions regarding Crown land. Specific government policy and program references may be associated to the intent, in order to provide transparency about the reservation’s alignment with Government of Alberta policy and program goals.

Contact

Connect with the Government of Alberta regarding the Land Use Reservation Program and its development and implementation:

Email: [email protected]

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