Historical Land Use in the Special Areas Group 4B Kenna Wilkinson Chris Caoni Coleen Mahoney Our Ques7on How has the Special Areas Act affected land use within the Special Areas? Our Method • Examine historical and present land use pracCces • Look at the Special Areas Board • Case study of Oil and Gas Why is this important? Disaster-a natural hazard that impacts a vulnerable populaon Dr. Holden Vulnerability- the degree and manner to which a system of interests is suscepCble to and able to cope with the adverse effects of climate Marchildon et al., 2007 Land Use in the Special Areas • Pre 1880s: First Naons and grass-buffalo economy • 1880 – 1906: open range cale ranching – 3 main reasons for the collapse of cale ranching • 1908 – 1920s: wheat crop culCvaon – Dominion Lands Act opened the Great Plains to se4lers • 1930s – present: mix of farming & ranching in the Special Areas – Land that is not used for agriculture is used for oil & gas – Farmers & ranchers in the Special Areas are involved with conservaon Wandel & Marchildon, 2010 Jay Slemp Response to drought • The main objecCves of the Tilley East Act (1927) and the Berry Creek Act (1932) by provincial government: – more local control over the Special Areas – changing from farm-based to ranching • Special Area’s Act (1938) – further increased the power of the provincial government by eliminang municipaliCes Marchildon et al., 2006 Evolu7on of The Special Areas Board 1927 1932 1934 1938 Tilley East Berry Creek Acts Special Act Act Combined Areas Act Main responsibiliCes of the Board include: • Leasing public land • Land exchange • Set aside community pastures • Use money for be4erment of area • Pay for municipal services • ConCnue tax proceedings Current Legislaon • Minister of Municipal Affairs can delegate many duCes and responsibiliCes - Appendix to Ministerial Order No. L:005/13 (h4p://municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/documents/LGS/ L_005-13.pdf) • Current structure is changing to ensure each Area is represented on the Board • Elected Advisory Council nominates 3 members to Board • Minister appoints Board Chair • Board regulates land use (h4p://www.lawlibrary.ab.ca/staycurrent/2013/11/bill-38- statutes-amendment-act-introduced-november-7-2013/) What Does the Board Do? • Agent of the Crown - broad land use control powers • Provides municipal services - essenCal infrastructure • Land rehabilitaon and conservaon - soil and land policies and pracCces Populaon 10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 35000 5000 0 Rural and Urban Popula7on in the Special 1916 1921 1926 1931 1936 Marchildon, 2007, Wandel et al., 2009, & StasCcs Canada 1941 Areas 1916 - 2011 Populaon 1946 1951 Year 1956 1961 1966 1971 1976 1981 1986 1991 1996 2001 2006 TOTAL URBAN RURAL 2011 Other Municipali7es Land use in Vulcan County and Wheatland County “…no individual council or group of Councilors can make a decision or ask administraon to take acCon except within meeCngs of council where an appropriate bylaw or resoluCon is passed” Wheatland County website Oil & Gas in the Special Ares Sec7on 3 – Public land • All public lands within the Special Areas are under the administraon of the Minister except lands that are under a different administraon or any land under SecCon 2(2) of the Public Lands Act Sec7on 6 – Applica7on of other Acts •The Special Areas Act is only subjected to Parts 9-12 & 15 of the Municipal Government Act and to the Weed Control Act Sec7on 7 – Powers of Minister •Gives the Minister power over the direcCve of any public land •Appendix to Ministerial Order No. L:005/13 Enacted Policies • Through the aforemenConed acts, the Special Areas Board was able to enact ; – Policy 06-01 • Pipeline Road Crossings – Policy 06-02 • Access for Seismic drill Lines and Well Site Development Near Water Bodies within the Special Areas – Policy 06-03 • Access Historical or Cultural Sites - Policy 06-05 • Minimum Disturbances on Nave Range – Policy 06-06 • Invasive Introduced Forages on Reclamaon Sites – Policy 07-12 • Parking of Water Trucks on Special Areas Roads Policy 06-01 Rates in Effect Mineral Surface Leases Per Acre Gen Dist Per Acre Ann Rent Per Applicaon Admin Amendment Fee Grazing Lease or $90.00 $50.00 $100.00 Plus $50.00 permits $25.00 Applicaon Fee $125 Applicaon Filing Fee Public Land in a $150.00 $300.00 $150.00 Plus $50.00 community pasture $25.00 Applicaon Fee $125 Applicaon Filing Fee Culvaon Lease or $90.00 $100.00 $100.00 Plus $50.00 permit, Irrigaon Lease $25.00 Applicaon Fee $125 Applicaon Filing Right of way Disposi7ons / pipelinesFee Per Acre Plus Applicaon Fee Amendment Fee Grazing lease or permit or $50.00 $25.00 Plus $50.00 Temp work spaces $125.00 Applicaon Filing Fee Public Land in a Community $75.00 $25.00 Plus $50.00 Pasture $125.00 Applicaon Filing Fee Culvaon Lease or Permit, $80.00 $25.00 Plus $50.00 Irrigaon Lease $125.00 Applicaon Filing Fee Conclusion • The large populaon, reliance on wheat producCon, and drought condiCons made the Special Areas especially vulnerable to drought in the 1920s & again in the 1930s • Management by the Special Areas Board has resulted in a land use shio to mixed farming & ranching, as well as oil & gas producCon • A smaller populaon and diversificaon of land use pracCces has lessened the vulnerability of the Special Areas to drought • Oil & gas provides farmers and ranchers with a diversified income through mineral surface leases & pipeline right of ways • The Special Areas Act allowed the provincial government to delegate authority to people living in the area who be4er understand the issues Acknowledgments Jay Slemp, Special Areas Chair Dr. Holden and Dr. Norman References • Alberta Government. (2013). Surface Rights Act. Edmonton: Alberta queen's Printer. • Alberta P.O. (2013). Public Lands Act. Edmonton : Alberta queen's Printer. • Alberta, P.O. (December 11, 2013). Special Areas Act - Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000 Chapter S-16. Edmonton: Alberta queen's Printer. • Marchildon, G.P. 2007. InsCtuConal adaptaon to drought and the Special Areas of Alberta 1909 – 1939. Prairie Forum 32(2): 251 – 272. • Marchildon, G.P. 2009. The Prairie Farm Rehabilitaon Administraon: Climate crisis and federal–provincial relaons during the Great Depression. The Canadian Historical Review 90. • Slemp, JJ. (September, 2001). Policy 06-01 - Pipeline Road Crossings . Hannah Alberta: Special Areas Board. • Special Areas Board. (2013). Rates in Effect. Retrieved 02 22, 2014, from Special Areas Board: h4p://specialareas.ab.ca/downloads/rates-in-effect. • StasCcs Canada: www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/dp-pd/hlt-fst/pd-pl/ Table-Tableau.cfm?LANG=Eng&T=302&SR=1&S=51&O=A&RPP=9999&PR=48&CMA=0 • Wandel, J. & Marchildon, G.P. 2010. InsCtuConal fit and interplay in a dryland agricultural, social-ecological system in Alberta, Canada. AdapCve Capacity and Environmental Governance, Spring Series on Environmental Management. • Wandel, J., Young, G., and Smit, B. 2009. The 2001 – 2002 drought: Vulnerability and drought in Alberta’s Special Areas. Prairie Forum 34(1): 211 – 234. .