Released on June 14, 2016
Today, Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart introduced amendments to The Provincial Lands Act (PLA). The Provincial Lands Act is jointly administered by the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment. The revised Act will create a more attractive business climate and financial certainty for investors by incorporating their needs into legislation. It will also provide management tools for government to better deal with misuse of the land. Before the proposed updates, the PLA had not been updated since 1978, with clauses and language dating back to the 1930s.“Saskatchewan is working to ensure Crown land is protected and productive for generations to come,” Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart said. “Once in effect, the revised PLA will make this legislation more responsive to the needs of those using Crown land and improve the service we offer our clients by reducing the administrative burden.”
These proposed updates are reflective of what was heard in consultations with stakeholders. An in-depth consultation process started in 2013, and included an updated call in the spring of 2016 for feedback from lessees, stakeholders and First Nations and Métis communities.
The revised legislation will:
- Create a more attractive business climate by increasing the time period of leases on the land to encourage significant long-term investments;
- Allow vacant Crown land to be divided into smaller sections, allowing a more diverse range of activities to occur; and
- Provide the government with the ability to respond and take action when land is being misused, such as issuing immediate stop work orders.
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For more information, contact:
Sarah Hein
Agriculture
Regina
Phone: 306-787-5389
Email: sarah.hein@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-527-9102
Jamie Gibson
Environment
Regina
Phone: 306-798-3900
Email: jamie.gibson@gov.sk.ca