WHEREAS grazing leases are occupied public lands held by a person under a disposition from the Crown; and WHEREAS Alberta Sustainable Resource Development is committed to fire protection of public lands and has the fire fighting resources to control or extinguish fires in remote and topographically challenging terrain, and WHEREAS grazing leases are frequently on lands in areas with limited access and municipal fire fighting units may not effectively get to the site of fires to control or extinguish them;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties request that Alberta Sustainable Resource Development amend the Forest and Prairie Protection Act, Section 7(1), by excluding fighting and controlling fires within occupied public lands from the responsibility of the municipal district.

Sustainable Resource Development owns and has access through private contractors to equipment and fire fighting resources to control or extinguish fires in remote and topographically challenging terrain. Grazing leases are frequently located on lands in areas with limited access and that cannot be reached effectively with traditional municipal fire fighting equipment. (ie pumper trucks) As Sustainable Resource Development is much better equipped to attack and control fires in these locations the Forest and Prairie Protection Act, Section 7(1) should exclude fighting and controlling fires on occupied public lands from the responsibility of the municipal district. Eliminating areas that cannot be effectively served by municipal fire fighting services should provide for a more efficient response as well as the steps to request mutual aid and get the necessary approvals in place is eliminated from the steps required before fire suppression can start.

Resolution 22-05F: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties urge the Government of Alberta to develop Emergency Response Protocols and assume all liabilities arising from the attendance of provincial highway and roadway incidences for all responding emergency services personnel.