Crown Land Management
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada manages surface and subsurface activities on Crown lands in the Northwest Territories.
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How lands in the Northwest Territories are managed
Public lands in the territory are under the administration of either the Government of Canada or Government of the Northwest Territories. Public lands that are the Government of Canada's responsibility are referred to as federal Crown lands. Land that the Government of the Northwest Territories is responsible for is referred to as Commissioner's land.
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) manages surface activities on federal Crown lands in the Northwest Territories. It also has some responsibilities related to the management of water. This includes managing what activities can happen and how those activities can take place.
CIRNAC's land and waters management responsibilities in the Northwest Territories are related to administering and enforcing legislation. This includes:
- Canadian Environmental Protection Act
- Impact Assessment Act (Federal Crown lands within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region only)
- Federal Real Property and Federal Immovables Act
- Mackenzie Valley Resource Management Act
- Mackenzie Valley Land Use Regulations
- Mackenzie Valley Federal Areas Waters Regulations
- Northwest Territories Mining Regulations
- Territorial Lands Act
- Quarrying Regulations
- Arctic Waters Pollution Prevention Act
For more information about required land use regulations in the Northwest Territories, please contact the appropriate land and water board:
- Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board
- Sahtu Land and Water Board
- Gwich'in Land and Water Board
- Wek'èezhìi Land and Water Board
- Inuvialuit Water Board
On April 1, 2014, the administration and control of most of the territory's public lands and resources were transferred from the Government of Canada to the Government of the Northwest Territories. This transfer included responsibility for managing waters and onshore lands, including related resource mineral and oil and gas activities.
The Government of Canada is still responsible for:
- remediating existing significant contaminated waste sites
- administrating the issuance rights and interests related to offshore oil and gas
The Government of Canada also participates in environmental assessments and environmental audits.
As described in the Northwest Territories Devolution Agreement, CIRNAC remains responsible for environmental assessments on Crown lands and continues to play a role in land use planning. The remaining Crown land, as well as the federal department with administration and control of those lands, are defined in the Northwest Territories Devolution Agreement's exclusion list.
In the Northwest Territories, the CIRNAC regional office's Resource and Land Management unit carries out the land management responsibilities. Their work includes:
- administering the surface and subsurface rights on federal Crown lands
- carrying out the Government of Canada's land management and environmental responsibilities on the territory's reserve lands
- monitoring compliance with the terms and conditions of land use permits, water licences and leases on federal Crown lands
- administering northern off-shore oil and gas licences for artificial islands
- environmental assessments on Crown lands
The Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs remains responsible for signing Type A water licences on Crown lands. CIRNAC also plays a regulatory role for waters in the offshore.
Land development information for the Northwest Territories
Before proceeding with a development project, depending on the nature of the work being undertaken, you may require leases, permits or licences. In the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, land use permits for activities on federal Crown lands are issued by Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. For more information about this process, contact the NWT Region's Resource and Land Management unit. For areas in the Northwest Territories outside of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, land use permits and water licences are issued by the NWT land and water boards.
Depending on the work you intend to do, you may need to apply for:
On the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board's website, you can find information on how to apply for a permit and their policies and guidelines.
The Geoviewer is a tool you can use to view information about current land ownership and management in the Northwest Territories.
Spill reporting on federal Crown lands
To report a spill in the territory, including on federal Crown lands, please contact the 24-hour spill report line at 1 (867) 920 8130 or fill out a spill report form and email it to spills@gov.nt.ca. Additional information about preventing and managing spills and spill reporting is available from the Government of the Northwest Territories' Department of Environment and Climate Change.
You may also be interested in:
For more information, contact the NWT Region's Resource and Land Management unit.