Land Asset Management - Crown Lands

Crown lands are owned by the Province and managed by the Department of Natural Resources (NR&R) on behalf of the citizens of Nova Scotia. The lands are a collective asset which belong to all of us. Many acres of Crown lands are licensed for a variety of economic purposes to help build and maintain the prosperity of the Province. Provincially-owned land in Nova Scotia has many demands on it and we must manage this asset sustainably and efficiently.

In May 2013, the NR&R completed a Land Asset Management (LAM) Pilot Project to investigate ways to improve decisions made about the use of Crown lands for economic purposes. As part of the pilot project, NR&R issued a public tender for the development and operation of sugar maple harvesting facilities on Crown lands in Cumberland and Colchester Counties. Steps that usually occur after a client requests a lease (including an Integrated Resource Management (IRM) review and Aboriginal consultation) were completed by NR&R in preparation for the tendering process in order to streamline the leasing process and reduce the turnaround time for bringing these sites into production.

Using the method that was developed during the pilot project, NR&R is now taking a proactive approach to managing activities on Crown lands by liaising with industry and government stakeholders to encourage similar initiatives. Once an opportunity is identified an interdepartmental team is established to plan and implement the work including the identification and assessment of areas of Crown lands for the prescribed use. Detailed analysis and consultation with industry, pertinent government departments and the Mi'kmaq are then undertaken to facilitate the selection of the appropriate Crown lands.

Important! For a map of Crown Lands with high resolution aerial imagery,
please use the Provincial Landscape Viewer.

One of the main advantages of this proactive approach is that with many of the important process steps already finalized, there are significant savings to the client. Appraisals, Aboriginal consultations and IRM reviews are completed ahead of time by NR&R (applicants are still responsible for the cost of surveying). This allows for qualified individuals, or companies, to experience a more user friendly process to leasing Crown lands while also focusing attention on Crown lands appropriately suited for each type of opportunity.

For more information, please contact the Department of Natural Resources Land Services Branch.
Call: 902-424-3488
Email: landweb@novascotia.ca