Alberta Land Stewardship Act
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 Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA)
Established the legal basis for the development of regional plans under the Land-use Framework. In 2011, amendments to ALSA provided greater clarity. |
Alberta Land Stewardship Regulation
Provides clear rules for Albertans concerning the implementation of regional plans under the Land-use Framework. |
ALSA Proclaimed
The legal basis for regional land-use planning in Alberta was established in October, 2009 with the proclamation of the Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA). This legislation is intended to plan for the future needs of Albertans and manage growth, while respecting existing property rights.
Purpose of ALSA
ALSA:
- provides a means by which government can give direction and provide leadership in identifying the objectives of the province, including economic, environmental and social objectives;
- provides a means to plan for the future, recognizing needs of current and future Albertans;
- provides for coordination of decisions by decision-makers concerning land, species, human settlement, natural resources and the environment;
- creates legislation and policy that enable sustainable development by taking into account and responding to cumulative effects of human endeavour and other events.
Under ALSA, land-use decision-makers and the provincial government will coordinate their planning and decision-making.
ALSA Amendments
2026 Amendments:
In April 2026, the Government of Alberta introduced Bill 31, the Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, 2026 which included amendments to the Alberta Land Stewardship Act.
Amendments remove the requirement for regional plans to approve issue-specific and subregional plans, enabling issue-specific and subregional plans to proceed in areas without an approved regional plan.
Standalone sub-regional and issue-specific plans follow ALSA requirements and respect all rights to appeal and due process. Albertans are protected by a strong and accessible court system. ALSA also provides additional, efficient processes for Albertans to request compensation, a review or a variance in relation to these plans.
Amendments would also allow regional plans to enable a Designated Minister the ability to change guidelines, rules and standards that supplement or support implementation of a regional, subregional or issue-specific plan without a full amendment to a regional or sub-regional plan. The changes outline the processes a Designated Minister will follow to make these changes.
Not yet proclaimed, the changes can be found here.
2011 Amendments:
The Government of Alberta amended ALSA in May, 2011 to clarify the original intent of the legislation. The amendments contain a clear statement that government must respect the property and other rights of individuals. ALSA does not limit any existing rights to compensation and respects all existing appeal provisions in Alberta legislation. It clarified that land titles and freehold mineral titles are not included in the definition of statutory consents.
Government of Alberta news releases and information bulletins capture steps in the development of ALSA -- from its inception as Bill 36 in April 2009, through proclamation in October 2009 to approval of Bill 10 amendments in May 2011. Facts about ALSA help clarify these amendments.
Content of ALSA
ALSA contains the following parts:
- Part 1: Regional Plans - Making, Amending and Reviewing and Contents of Regional Plans
- Part 2: Nature and Effect of Regional Plans and Compliance Declarations
- Part 3: Conservation and Stewardship Tools
- Part 4: Regional Planning Process and Administration
- Part 5: Transitional Provisions
Stewardship Regulations
Clear rules are now in place under which Albertans can ask for a review of a regional plan, titleholders can apply for a variance to a plan and landowners can apply for compensation in appropriate cases. The regulation supports regional planning under Alberta's Land-use Framework and its legislation, the Alberta Land Stewardship Act.
