Alberta Forestry and Parks has revised Public Lands Administration Regulation (PLAR) Table A2: Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). Changes were made to the survey plan requirements, and disposition purpose and activity types for mandate expansion activities were added.
Survey Plan Requirements for Public Lands Act Dispositions
The requirement for a survey plan for oil sands and coal mineral surface leases has been replaced with the new “surveyor sketch” plan type. An Alberta land surveyor must prepare and certify a “surveyor sketch” plan to verify the location accuracy of the disposition; placing survey pins in the ground would not be required. Despite these changes, the AER retains its authority to require a survey plan at any time under section 23 of the Public Lands Act. A survey may be necessary for higher-risk activities involving buried subsurface structures, power lines, or activities involving hazardous materials.
Survey plan enhancements were made available in OneStop on August 20, 2025.
Geothermal and Rock-Hosted Minerals
New purpose and activity codes have been added to reflect the expanded mandate of the AER, including the following:
- well site, pipelines, and facilities for geothermal resource development
- quarries and facilities for mineral resource development
OneStop Enhancements
For the latest information on OneStop updates, check the OneStop Enhancements, Fixes & Bulletins webpage. If you have any questions, contact our Customer Contact Centre by phone at 1-855-297-8311 or by email at inquiries@aer.ca.
