armer ancher Serving the producers of Northwest Saskatchewan Thursday, March 23, 2017
North Battleford, Saskatchewan
Provincial Lands Act, 2016
New regulations govern Crown land use Staff
Sturdy and Ready to Flourish Calving season is bringing new life to farms throughout the Northwest. As winter makes its last gasp and the days move unerringly toward spring, No. 24 says, “bring it on.” Photo by Vicky Clayton
Saskatchewan’s new Provincial Lands Act, 2016 and its associated regulations have been proclaimed and are now in effect. Jointly administered by the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment, The Provincial Lands Act was originally drafted to accommodate the settlement of the west and has been largely unchanged since its introduction in the 1930s, according to a govervment press release. More than 98 million acres of Crown lands are administered between the Ministries of Agriculture and Environment under the Act. The amendments include: • Better protection for Crown land by providing government with the ability to respond and take action when land is being misused, such as issuing immediate stop work orders; • Creating the framework for Ministry of Agriculture Crown leases to be used as security; in-
creasing the time period of certain long-term leases where significant investments are possible, such as wind power development; and • Modernization of wording contained in the Act. The amendments also put into law regulations for the Ministry of Agriculture that include: • The ability to work with lessees during extenuating circumstances where previously lease cancellation was the only option; • Clarifying the ability of leaseholders to control access on their land; • A clear annual deadline by which leases must be surrendered to avoid rental charges; and • Lease cancellation authority upon municipal tax arrears of one year. These updates to the legislation and regulations reflect what was heard during an in-depth consultation process with lessees, stakeholders and First Nations and Métis communities in 2013 and 2016, the release states.
voice of those who access our services currently, as well as those who don’t, to ensure we move our extension activities in the right direction.” Information collected during the consultation process will help determine how extension services should be delivered by the Ministry of Agriculture, according to a press release. The new delivery
model is expected to be in place when the next federal-provincial-territorial agriculture policy framework starts in April 2018. The online survey can be found at www.saskatchewan.ca/public-consultations and will be open until March 31. A report will be shared publicly following the conclusion of the survey and focus group discussions.
Consultations on the modernization of extension Staff
Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart is inviting farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses to provide input on how the province currently delivers agriculture extension services. Agriculture extension services include the business information, advice and support provided by specialists in regional of-
fices around the province and at extension events, the toll-free Agriculture Knowledge Centre phone line and a variety of print and electronic publications. “Agriculture is the foundation of our province and we want to make sure we are providing the right services, in the right locations, using the best delivery options available,”
Stewart said. “We are asking producers and industry how we can better serve them and how we can ensure our extension activities remain relevant and valuable.” An online survey is designed to help identify the current and future needs of farmers and ranchers and the most effective way to deliver services. Focus group discussions will
also be hosted around the province to help identify what is working and possible gaps producers may be finding. “The agriculture industry is forever evolving and our extension activities need to be driving sustainable growth and ensuring our producers stay competitive in a global market,” Stewart said. “Through our consultations, we need the
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