Alberta landowners' group tells farmers, ranchers to resist oil development
XLE•The Alberta Surface Rights Federation urged farmers and ranchers to withhold consent and refuse new surface leases for oil and gas development, citing orphan wells, delayed reclamation and unpaid municipal taxes. Without consent, companies must seek legal right-of-entry orders to access property.
1. Call to resist development
The Alberta Surface Rights Federation urged landowners to "actively resist" new oil and gas development, saying the government has failed to address orphan and abandoned wells, delayed site reclamation and unpaid municipal taxes owed by energy companies. The group made the appeal in a letter to Premier Danielle Smith.
2. Access requires legal orders
Federation president Bill Heidecker said landowners should verbally withhold consent and refuse to sign new surface leases, but should not physically bar companies from their property. Without consent, companies must seek legal right-of-entry orders. Heidecker said Alberta should address infrastructure liability and environmental regulation before advancing its proposed 1 million-barrel-per-day Pacific Link pipeline.
