Surface Land-use Application

Are you already an Electronic Disposition System (EDS) user?

You will automatically have access to EAP online services such as the Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT) and Plan Confirmation Service (PCS). Move on to Step 2.

Not an EDS user?

To access the EAP you will need to:

1. Get a User ID. See:
   • Access to Industry Online Services
2. Give your permission to use your electronic signature on the documents produced. For electronic consent information or to fill out an electronic consent form, see:
   • Online Services for Industry

The Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT) is a web-enabled geo-spatial tool that allows users to plan activities on Crown land.

The Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT) will generate a LAT Report, which is a system-generated PDF document that provides information specific to the site and activity being proposed. The LAT Report is required as part of your submission application.

For more detailed information about, and access to, the LAT, see:

• Landscape Analysis Tool

For more detailed instruction on using the LAT, review the LAT User Guide at:

• Manuals & Guides for EAP

First Nations Consultation

For applications through the EAP, First Nations Consultation must be completed prior to making an interim submission.

The document that must be included as part of an interim application through the EAP is either:

• Pre-consultation Assessment form - if it has been deemed by SRD that consultation is not required, OR
• Letter of Adequacy - from SRD deeming that the consultation conducted fulfilled all requirements of First Nations Consultation.

First Nations Consultation must follow

• Alberta’s First Nations Consultation Guidelines on Land Management and Resource Development – November 2007 (the Guidelines)
• The Government of Alberta’s First Nations Consultation Policy on Land Management and Resource Development – May 2005 (the Policy)

These documents are Alberta’s direction on how to implement the consultation process as defined by case law.

The First Nations Consultation procedures and forms can be found at:

• First Nations Consultation Procedures

Surface Rights Holder Consent Process

Prior to making an application, the applicant must obtain consent from other land users.

To determine if public land is occupied:

• Contact Crown Land Searches at (780) 422-5727, or Fax (780) 422-9522 and request a Land Standing report for the proposed project lands, OR
• Access Alberta Energy’s Electronic Transfer System (ETS) at:
  • Electronic Transfer System

The Land Standing report will assist the applicant in determining overlap, or double coverage, of the proposed location with existing dispositions. If consent is required, the consent document must be attached to the online interim submission.

When consent from the surface rights holder can not be obtained, the following Standard Operating Procedure will be followed to gain access to the Alberta Surface Rights Board Application process:

• SOP L15.0 - EAP SRD Right of Entry Enablement

To access this document, see under Standard Operating Procedures at:

• Lands Directives

The Integrated Standards and Guidelines (IS&G) identify provincial and sensitivity-specific approval standards and operating conditions associated with upstream oil and gas activities on Alberta’s public lands.

The IS&G also includes best management guidelines that identify possible landscape risk mitigation practices and pre-application requirements and information that applicants must understand prior to making an application.

Used by industry and government, the IS&G is made up of four documents:

• Pre-Application Requirements and Information for the EAP
• Approval Standards for the EAP
• Operating Conditions for the EAP
• Best Management Guidelines for the EAP

The following document is an introduction on how to use the four IS&G documents:

• User Guide for the Integrated Standards & Guidelines

The following document displays the relationship between the IS&G, LAT and disposition documents:

• IS&G, LAT and Disposition Document Linkages

To access these documents, see:

• Manuals & Guides for EAP – Integrated Standards & Guidelines

The following document displays the relationship between the IS&G, LAT and disposition documents:

• IS&G, LAT and Disposition Document Linkages– May 30, 2011 (1 page)

Proponents are required to ensure that the requirements identified in any Reservations, Notations, and Integrated Resource Plans (IRP) associated with their proposed site are met prior to making application for disposition through the EAP. Reservation, notation, and IRP information and requirements can be obtained through an up to date Land Standing Report and the Pre-application Requirements and Information document.

If you are already an Electronic Disposition System (EDS) user, you will automatically have access to EAP online services such as the Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT) and Plan Confirmation Service (PCS).

Otherwise, to gain access, follow the first step above – Get Access to EAP.

Note that federal, provincial, municipal requirements are still in place.

Technical and Administrative Reviews

Once an application passes electronic validation, technical, and administrative reviews, and mitigation strategies are accepted (for a non-standard application), then a short-term 4-year disposition is issued with the appropriate terms and conditions.

The following Standards Operating Procedures outline the process, roles and responsibilities for technical and administrative reviews of interim submissions:

• SOP L7.0 - EAP Technical Review of Interim Submissions
• SOP L16.0 - EAP Administrative Review of Interim Submissions

To access these documents, see under Standard Operating Procedures at:

• Lands Directives

Field Referrals and Applicant Appeals

Non-standard interim EAP application submissions will be referred to the appropriate SRD field office for review by Lands Division personnel. This referral is undertaken by SRD for all non-standard interim submissions in order to accept, reject, or negotiate alternate mitigation strategies identified on the Non-standard Mitigation Supplement for all of the approval standards that won’t be met by the applicant.

The field referral and review process for non-standard applications requires the designated Lands Area Office to review the portion of the interim submission that caused it to become non-standard. This enables discussion between industry and SRD field staff on the proposed alternate mitigation strategies and how best to minimize impacts to the landscape.

A field referral may result in a Non-standard Mitigation Supplement being rejected by the lands area office. In these cases an applicant has the ability to appeal this decision through the EAP Applicant Appeal of Non-standard Interim Submissions procedure prior to the application being refused by SRD.

The following Standards Operating Procedures outline the process, roles and responsibilities for the field review and applicant appeal:

• SOP L3.0 - EAP Field Referral of Interim Submissions
• SOP L4.0 - EAP Applicant Appeal of non-standard Interim Submissions

To access these documents, see under Standard Operating Procedures at:

• Lands Directives

Site Entry Notification

Four years are provided to prepare and construct a site, and submit a final plan.

• Notice of entry must occur within 72 hours of site entry, online via EDS. To access EDS, see:
  • Electronic Disposition System
• Site entry notification is not required for survey purposes.

Cancellation and Expiry

See the Standard Operating Procedure that outlines the process, roles and responsibilities for disposition cancellations and expiries:

• SOP L6.0 - Disposition Cancellations and Expiries

To access this document, see under Standard Operating Procedures at:

• Lands Directives

If a site is not entered and the short-term disposition expires after four years, disposition holders must follow the No-Entry process. If a site is entered, and is no longer required by industry, reclamation will be required. The disposition holder can request cancellation of the short-term disposition anytime if entry has not occurred through the current No-Entry application process.

See information on the No-Entry process at:

• Reclamation of Specified Land

Also see the information letter, Upstream Oil and Gas Cancellation of Undisturbed Sites on Public Land, at:

• Lands Information Letters – U-Z

See reclamation information at:

• Industrial Development & Reclamation

Changes to Dispositions

If an applicant requires changes to a short term disposition prior to entry, the applicant must cancel the short term disposition and re-apply.

Once a short term disposition has been entered, there may be instances when a disposition holder can request changes as a result of unforeseen circumstances in the field. The disposition holder can request a Temporary Field Authorization (TFA) from the Lands Area Office according to the TFA Guidelines.

TFAs are short term authorizations issued to assist and facilitate the needs of the construction and development activities that may be associated with an SRD disposition. The TFA guidelines provide instruction on the process for applying for a TFA, look for the TFA drop down item at:

• Lands Forms - Temporary Field Authorization (TFA) Guidelines

Compliance assurance begins with the approval of a short term disposition and continues through the life cycle of the disposition.

Compliance assurance focuses on:

• Education
• Prevention
• Enforcement
• Continuous Improvement

Final submission to obtain a long term disposition must be made prior to the end of the four year term of the short term disposition.

• Applicants will complete an on-line application in EDS for a final submission.
• Once a valid submission is made, a technical and administrative review will be completed.