Updating and enhancing the Conservation Land Registry

Overview:

Land Stewardship Centre of Canada (LSC) is updating our Conservation Land Registry (CLR), to increase the number of users and to also enhance current user experience and functionality when utilizing the CLR for conservation and land-use planning purposes.

The CLR is a construct of the LSC, and has been in operation for 17 years. The CLR currently provides users with information regarding conservation projects, agreements, and other notations for specific quarter sections for Alberta Crown Land. The CLR currently provides subscribers online access to 200,000 records which enables them to abide by land and conservation legislation, and to make the best possible stewardship decisions.

This enhancement will increase the amount of environmental non-profits, municipalities, and others using the CLR for conservation planning and development purposes.

Activities:

LSC will work with LIFT Interactive (a website and digital design company) to incorporate new data sets into the CLR increasing the amount of current records. The technical enhancements to the CLR will expand the functionality of the search engine by adding mapping capabilities, and to provide a greater selection of datasets to users. Subscribers use the CLR to search for the specific data they need for planning and decision making: mapping capabilities would add value to the service by making it easier to find that information. (Specific details regarding technical enhancements can be provided upon request to TD FEF.) Ease of use may lead to both current and new subscribers performing more searches, allowing them to be more well informed and make better business and environmental stewardship decisions.

Expanding the number and diversity of datasets benefits the needs of users, and the short and long term needs and goals of the LSC. Having a greater selection of data in the same location makes it easier for users to find and use it in their decision making process. Finding new information and renewing or replacing outdated information adds value to the service for current users. Subscribers will not return unless there is an incentive for them to do so, and new subscribers from different industries will not be enticed unless there are data relevant for them. (Currently, there is a fee for natural resource companies to utilize the CLR, however it is free of charge for non-profits, land trusts and other environmental community groups to use).

Along with the new data sets and the addition of a mapping function that will be added to the CLR, Land Stewardship Centre (LSC) will also integrate our existing Conservation Easement Registry into the CLR, to make it as comprehensive as possible. LSC was awarded a contract with the Government of Alberta (Land Use Secretariat) to update the Conservation Easement Registry in 2016 (which has been completed) and one of the activities of this project will be integrating the updated easement registry into the CLR.

The creation of a marketing strategy will be undertaken to promote the enhanced Conservations Land Registry (this will include utilizing all LSC communications and social media channels). This marketing plan will involve the creation and distribution of promotional postcards (to targeted audiences) to promote the updated and enhanced CLR.

Users and benefit to environment:

The CLR allows users from a variety of sectors to take into consideration, and easily find information, regarding natural aspects of land for development, land-use or sustainability planning purposes. There are several environmental issues, including protection and awareness of important ecological and protected areas, that the CLR addresses and will assist users with including:
- Public awareness and protecting green spaces: The objective of the CLR is to provide information, to all users, on environmental and wildlife protection which can be incorporated into a variety of different activities. These enhancements to the long-standing CLR will encourage other groups, specifically other environmental non-profits, to make use of the CLR in the variety of their environmental and conservation efforts.
- Connecting people to nature and parks (community engagement): The CLR also opens the door for all Albertans to be more aware of recreational areas, provincially protected parks, areas with high species biodiversity, etc., which will encourage more people to explore and appreciate nature.
- Allowing development and the environment to peacefully coexist: While the CLR is open to anyone, the majority of current users are natural resource development companies. While these large corporations are usually painted as the heaviest polluters, it is important to provide them with tools such as the CLR to enable them to make the best environmental decisions possible.
- Fostering a stewardship ethic in society: These enhancements to the CLR align with LSC’s organizational mission and goals. Increasing the number of users in all industries will spread awareness of environmental and stewardship practices to different areas and members of society, and allow a greater variety of organizations to make the best possible stewardship decisions possible.

Additional project information:

The CLR fills a unique space in the market for environmental data as no other organization provides consolidated access to different datasets, filling an important and current gap to conservation planning. The online database provides users the ability to incorporate environmental aspects into many aspects of their development, land-use planning or conservation mapping efforts. (Some examples of data sets within the CLR include:
• Alberta Conservation Association – Wildlife program lands;
• Alberta Culture and Community Spirit – Listing of historical sites and areas;
• Alberta Sustainable Resource Development – Fisheries conservation projects;
• Ducks Unlimited Canada – Projects on Alberta lands (exclusive source);
• Energy Resources Conservation Board (formerly Energy UB) – Special case lands;
• Nature Conservancy of Canada – Land holdings and projects;
• Self-registered private landowners.