Provide Information on Department
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Written Responses from the Ministry of Environment and Parks Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Oct. 22, 2019) Topic: Provide information on department estimates on what Alberta’s emissions would have been without climate leadership action that had been implemented in the past four years? (Reference Transcript PA-83, Mr. Schmidt) • This information is available in the Climate Leadership Plan 2017-18 Progress Report available on the Open Data Portal at https://open.alberta.ca/publications/climate- leadership-plan-progress-report-2017-18 • Specifically, this information can be located in the “Ultimate Outcomes: Reduced GHG Emissions section” on page 17 of the report, excerpted below: o The Climate Leadership Plan (CLP) reference case (Table 1) represents current expectations for future GHG emissions based on 2018 federal and CLP climate policies, and on economic growth as projected in 2018. Emissions are forecast to decrease through 2018, then remain at about the same level even with increasing population, economic growth and oil sands production. Table 1 include Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)’s 2015 historical forecast (before the CLP) that is referenced in the Climate Change Advisory Panel’s Report to Government. The historical forecast is adjusted for ECCC data updates in 2018. Differences between the historical forecast and the CLP reference case include CLP’s projected GHG reductions, differences in economic growth and methodologies used to project emissions. The CLP reference case with potential reductions from innovation (Table 1) includes estimates of reductions funded through the CLP, but innovative technologies and processes make the projected reductions less certain. Table 1: Actual and Estimated GHG Emissions for Alberta (Mt of CO2e) Year and Considered Reported Results Forecasted Results Policy/ Economic 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 2026 2028 2030 Expectations Historical Forecast 239 256 269 263 279 291 296 301 306 310 314 (ECCC 2015 Adjusted) CLP Reference Case ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ 259 263 261 259 262 264 263 CLP reference case with potential ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ 259 262 256 250 248 245 238 Reductions from Innovation Source (Figure 1 and Table 1): Reported Results (2010-2016) from 2018 National Inventory Report. ECCC. Historical Forecast based on Canada’s Second Biennial Report on Climate Change, ECCC (2015) with Government of Alberta adjustments. CLP reference cases from Government of Alberta analysis. Note: The reported results for 2010 to 2016 from the Historical Forecast are replaced by actual GHG emissions from the 2018 National Inventory Report ▬ Not Applicable • It is important to note that a portion of the difference between the Historical Forecast and the CLP reference is due to some structural changes to the economy that are independent of the CLP implementation. Page 1 of 32 Written Responses from the Ministry of Environment and Parks Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Oct. 22, 2019) Topic: Provide information on the percentage of the parks in Alberta that have a co-management plan with Indigenous people. (Reference Transcript PA-86; Mr. Feehan) • The Government of Alberta is exploring cooperative management opportunities with Indigenous groups in various areas of the province. In the Alberta context, cooperative management differs from co-management in that cooperative management includes involvement in decision-making in an advisory capacity, while a common interpretation of co-management includes decision-making authority. The GOA is not considering co-management at this time. • Currently, there is a cooperative management initiative with the Piikani Nation in southern Alberta for the Castle Provincial Park and Castle Wildland Provincial Park. In northeast Alberta, a cooperative management initiative is under development for five wildland provincial parks (Birch Mountains, Birch River, Dillon River, Kazan and Richardson). In 2018-2019, the GOA engaged with 23 Indigenous groups in northeast Alberta to develop the program. This program is currently under review and AEP is exploring ways to move forward with a more fiscally prudent approach. These seven provincial parks encompass approximately 1.47 million hectares (2.2 per cent of Alberta). • Additionally, AEP is exploring a cooperative management approach with multiple Indigenous groups for the Ronald Lake Bison Herd in northeast Alberta. Additional cooperative management opportunities may be explored in the future; such as in the recently established Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Provincial Park. Page 2 of 32 Written Responses from the Ministry of Environment and Parks Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Oct. 22, 2019) Topic: Further to the pie chart on page 42 of the Annual Report, provide information on how much is generated for purposes other than grazing. (Reference Transcript PA-87; Mr. Roswell) Disposition Category Actual Revenue in $ '000 Agricultural Cultivation Permits 32 Farm Development Leases 1,508 Forest Grazing Licenses 60 Grazing Leases 3,592 Grazing Permits 46 Hay Permits 81 Head Tax Permits 1,349 Commercial Non-Oil and Gas Miscellaneous Lease 1,727 Oil and Gas Miscellaneous Lease 1,056 Oil and Gas Miscellaneous Permit 66 Pipeline Installations Lease - Department managed activities 299 Recreation Lease 10 Surface Material Exploration Licence 92 Surface Material Lease 40,709 Surface Material Licence 552 Industrial Easement 411 Non-Oil and Gas Licence of Occupation 366 Non-Oil and Gas Mineral Surface Lease 100 Oil and Gas License of Occupation 2,976 Oil and Gas Mineral Surface Lease 39,530 Pipeline Agreement - Department managed activities 128 Pipeline Agreement - AER managed activities 1,051 Pipeline Installation Lease - AER managed activities 4,104 Right of Entry Lease 1,323 Temporary Field Authorization 12 Vegetation Control Easement 17 Parks Parks Cottage and Commercial Lease 1,046 Parks Easements 49 Parks License of Occupation and Permits 251 Parks Mineral Surface Lease 1,114 Other Assignment fees for leases transfer 245 Camp Wainwright Lease - GOC National Defence 1,100 Other Lease Fees 480 Total Land and Grazing Revenue 105,482 Page 3 of 32 Written Responses from the Ministry of Environment and Parks Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Oct. 22, 2019) Topic: Provide information on the difference between a grazing reserve and a grazing lease and if there is cost to keeping them separate. (Reference Transcript PA-87; Mr. Roswell) • Grazing reserves (otherwise known as provincial grazing reserves or PGRs) are established using section 107 of the Public Lands Act. o This section states, “When the Minister is satisfied that the interests of the farmers or ranchers in any area demand it, the Minister may establish, maintain and operate a community grazing reserve.” • Grazing leases are a formal disposition where grazing is considered to be the best long-term use of the public land. o The leaseholder on a grazing lease is the sole operator authorized to graze. A grazing lease term is usually 10 years but could be up to 20 years for some leases. • Historically, grazing reserves were completely government owned and operated, with individual grazing patrons applying to the government to graze their cattle on the grazing reserve. • In the late 1990s, the government mandate changed, resulting in semi-privatization of the grazing reserve program. The changes, which remain today, include: o Shifting the responsibility for livestock management and day-to-day operations to the patrons, which formed PGR associations. The Government of Alberta collects rental for grazing fees and use of government owned assets. Grazing fees are set at the applicable grazing zone lease rate. o Grazing on grazing reserves is authorized to PGR associations via an annual grazing disposition called a head tax permit. o Government owned assets on grazing reserves were negotiated to be either: . full ownership taken over by the PGR association, . remain under government ownership with the PGR association contributing to maintenance, or . remain under government ownership with government committing to maintaining the asset when budget is made available. • PGR associations do not have the ability to control recreational access and do not receive surface compensation for industrial access and impacts. PGR associations are not considered occupants under the Surface Rights Act due to the annual term of the grazing disposition used to authorize their use of public land. Revenue from industrial use, including seismic and oil and gas, is received directly by the Government of Alberta. Recreational access is managed by department staff. • Grazing leaseholders are considered occupants under the Surface Rights Act and receive compensation for access of industrial operations. • The Recreational Access Regulation is legislation that provides grazing leaseholders with the ability to assign reasonable restrictions for recreational access on the grazing lease. Page 4 of 32 Written Responses from the Ministry of Environment and Parks Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Oct. 22, 2019) o Department staff are responsible for maintaining grazing lease contact information and access conditions and dispute resolution. Leaseholders are responsible for the management of recreational access as per the Recreational Access Regulation. • PGR associations do not pay municipal taxes on the grazing reserve lands; taxes are paid by the Grant In Place of Taxes program (GIPOT) within the Ministry of Municipal Affairs. • Grazing leaseholders pay the municipal taxes for their dispositions.