WHEREAS the Alberta Government is assuming the responsibility for regulation of livestock operations (ILOs) on January 1, 2002;AND WHEREAS the mandate of the Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) will be expanded to include the review of ILO applications, issuance of approvals for ILO’s, and monitoring and enforcement of provincial standards relating to ILO’s;AND WHEREAS municipal governments will be required to provide assistance to the NRCB in many cases, with respect to items such as land use plans and input for decisions relating to the siting of ILO’s;AND WHEREAS many municipalities lack the necessary financial resources to absorb the additional costs which will be incurred in the process of providing assistance to the NRCB;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties urge the Government of Alberta to fully compensate municipal governments for any costs incurred by affected municipalities when providing assistance to the NRCB in relation to Intensive Livestock Operations.

The proposed new process for regulating Intensive Livestock Operations is likely to result in additional financial burdens being placed on local municipal governments, including the costs of the following:- Developing agriculture land use plans that identify areas where ILOs would not be compatible with existing and future land uses;- Assisting in the provincial approval process that utilizes municipal expertise and recommendations in relation to siting, including telephone calls/faxes, meetings, hearings, travel, advertising, etc.

The AAMDC has several resolutions currently in effect which deal with the regulation of intensive livestock operations:- Resolution 4-00F calls for provincial standards governing the environmental and technical aspects of ILOs, while leaving land use management within the hands of municipal governments.- Resolution 9-99S sets out a series of principles to be incorporated in any regulatory system governing ILOs, including reliance on scientific data when establishing thresholds, recognition of mixed farms, landowner notification, provision for public input and allocation of adequate resources.- Resolution 10-99S calls for a comprehensive consultation process prior to any legislation or regulations being introduced which would change the process for regulating ILOs.