Public Lands Appeal Board: 2020 A Year in Review

In the the first part of 2021, the COVID-19 news reel was been punctuated by stories of the thousands of Albertans, including country musician Corb Lund, voicing their concerns about potentially opening up use and development of public lands, particularly on the eastern slopes of the Rockies. We saw lawn signs expressing concern over the closure and privatization of provincial parks pop up in our neighbourhoods, and discussions on these issues trending on social media. 

Working away, far from the limelight, was the Public Lands Appeal Board (“PLAB”). PLAB is a regulatory body tasked with hearing appeals of decisions made by Alberta Environment and Parks as those decisions relate to access and use of public lands.

PLAB hears appeals regarding:

• the granting or refusal of leases on public lands (ie: for campgrounds, grazing or storage of industrial equipment);
• orders directing public lands be vacated, improvements to be removed, and/or activities to be suspended; and
• administrative penalties related to the [mis]use of public lands.

In 2020, the PLAB issued 21 decisions, which included the PLAB hearing its first-ever general appeal. 

Presenter Jessica Proudfoot:

• provided a brief introduction to the PLAB, its functions and its purpose,
• highlighted some of the more interesting and significant decisions issued by the PLAB in 2020, and
• commented on what we can expect from the PLAB in 2021. 

Who Should Attend: This webinar was designed for anyone who has an interest in the use of public lands, including tourism operators, trappers, First Nations, agricultural landowners, and the energy sector.

Date: Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Cost: Complimentary

Click here to view session recording.