Agricultural Crown Lands Leasing Program Policies

Land Use
 

Land use is an important area in which the Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Crown Lands Branch is involved. The responsibility for land use involvement and activity rests with the Agro-Land Planning and Management Section of the Branch.

The Agro-Land Planning and Management Section represents the Branch in the Crown land use planning process, ensuring that Crown lands suitable for agricultural use are identified, designated and maintained (ie. ensuring that lands are utilized in accordance with good management and conservation principles) for long term tenure by the agricultural industry.

In addition to reviewing sales, exchanges, permit applications and acting as the Department's liaison with respect to the PFRA Community Pasture program in Manitoba (ie. liaison for land use related issues), the section's main function includes participation in long term planning exercises such as Crown Land Plans for Planning Districts and in special land use studies.

The existing Provincial organizational structure and the associated committees are responsible for all Crown land use classification and planning in Agro-Manitoba. They operate under certain terms of reference, the most significant being Crown land classification adhering to or guided by existing Provincial Land Use Policies. 

Crown Land Management Plans are developed for each Rural Municipality and Planning District. They are site specific and are intended to guide the day-to-day administration of Crown land under the Crown Lands Act by delineating through a land use classification system, the use, intensity of use, and amount of development that can occur on Crown land. The application of multiple resource use in the development of Crown land use plans by these committees is a very important concept.

For more detailed information on this or other land use policies on agricultural Crown land, contact the Land Use & Policy Knowledge Centre within Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Crown Lands Branch.