As Alberta’s cities and major towns grow, so too does their footprint on Alberta’s rural landscapes. A recent report by the Alberta Land Institute contains new insights into the extent of farmland conversion and fragmentation in the agricultural “white zone” of the province. The report completed by a team of University of Alberta professors, including myself, along with graduate students…
EDMONTON, AB (February 13, 2018): A new report from the Alberta Land Institute found that high quality agricultural land in Alberta continues to be fragmented and lost and calls for greater discussion around land use policies to preserve quality agricultural land as Alberta grows. The report was conducted by Dr. Brent Swallow and Dr. Scott Jeffrey from the University of Alberta. It found that most…
Albertans are increasingly aware of the importance of agricultural land in and around their urban areas. This land provides the food that Albertans enjoy at their grocery stores and local farmers markets. It connects Albertans to the province’s agricultural heritage and beautiful landscapes. And finally, it provides an incredible benefit to Alberta’s economy, both local and provincial. Where these…
Today, the Alberta Land Institute (ALI) released its Annual Report for 2017. The past year, ALI saw growing influence among policy makers with several important, cutting-edge research projects completed. These include: Measuring conservation offsets: In-lieu payments and fees as a mechanism of environmental compensation; Systems modeling sustainable land and water policy in Alberta’s irrigation…
It is becoming increasingly common for land and resource developers to offer, or be required, to provide compensation for the disturbance which they cause to natural ecosystems. One form of that compensation is payment to an agency that will use the funds to provide later benefits to the ecosystem. These are often referred to as “in-lieu” payments of fees because the payment is made in lieu…