Integrated Land Management
Integrated Land Management (ILM) is the strategic planned approach to managing and reducing the human-caused footprint on public land.
The goals of ILM are:
- To reduce land-use disturbances relative to what would occur in the absence of integrated efforts
- To foster a stewardship ethic in all land users
All land users are responsible for integrated land management. By working together, we can reduce our impact on the land by:
- Sharing the land
- Planning the use of our land together
- Building understanding though shared knowledge
- Practicing stewardship
ILM Fundamentals
- Describing the Integrated Land Management Approach– Jan 2010 (11 pages)
- Integrated Land Management Outcomes and Principles– (1 page)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Integrated Land Management (ILM)?
Integrated land management (ILM) is an approach to informed land management planning, decision-making, actions and evaluation that applies to the life-cycle of activities on the landscape.
ILM is aimed at managing the footprint of human uses on public land and associated natural resources. Managing the footprint means managing the impact of human use of land and resources on landscape values. Values can be:
- Economic – industrial commercial
- Social – recreational, aesthetic
- Environmental – water, wildlife
ILM is not a plan or a process. ILM is a way of doing business and a way of thinking, by sharing the land and working together land users can reduce their impact on the land.
An oil and gas company needs to build a road to access resources, so they contact a forestry company that has permission to harvest the trees in the area. The two companies work together so that the forestry company goes in first and harvests the trees, the road gets built and both companies share the road.
Instead of building two roads to access the area, only one road is built, and that means less of a footprint on the land than would have occurred if the two companies hadn’t worked together.
To watch videos and read stories about ILM examples, see:
A footprint is the surface area of land disturbed from its natural condition by human activity, and the associated impact to or on related natural resources. It can include things like:
- Fragmentation of the landscape
- Removal of topsoil
- Visual disturbance caused by an access road
Public land owned by the provincial government. The government makes decisions about how public land is used and managed. Public land is synonymous with “provincial Crown land.”
Public land management and use can be very different from that of private land. One of the strategies (Strategy 5) of the Land-Use Framework (LUF) talks about reducing the footprint on public and private land. ILM is way to manage public land use and the government is now working on a way to reduce the footprint on private land.
Why is ILM limited to public land?
The Land-Use Framework is a strategic, high-level plan to make land-use decisions in Alberta. The regional plans will identify what land use goes where. ILM is the on-the-ground way to influence land-user behaviour, improve stewardship and reduce the relative footprint.
How does ILM fit with the Land-Use Framework and the new Regional Plans?
Little things can make a big difference:
- Camp in designated camp sites
- Find out where to go/and where not to go
- Join a stewardship group
- Stay on trails
Learn more about what you can do:
As a member of the public, what can I do?
It is part of your responsibility to use an ILM approach in managing and planning your use of the land. Land users who are fixed on the land and have permission to use the land are responsible for:
- Planning and operating with ILM principles in mind while looking for ways to reduce and share their footprints
- Engagement
As a member of industry in Alberta, what can I do?
If part of your responsibility is managing land and resources, you are also responsible for using the ILM approach when planning or authorizing land uses. You should be encouraging stakeholders to work with you and each other to manage their footprint.
Management of public land is the responsibility of several provincial departments working cooperatively:
- Provincial parks are managed under the Alberta Parks Act by Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation
- Public land used for industrial, commercial or other operations are managed under the Alberta Public Lands Act and Alberta Forestry Act by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development
As a member of government, what can I do?
ILM and the Land-use Framework
The vision of the Alberta Land-use Framework is that Albertans work together to respect and care for the land as the foundation of our economic, environmental and social well-being.
By promoting the efficient use of land and aiming to reduce the footprint of human activities, ILM will play an integral role in achieving that vision.
Contact ILM
For more information about ILM, e-mail:
Public Land
What is Public Land?
Public land is land owned by the provincial government. The government makes decisions about how public land is used and managed. Public land is synonymous with “provincial Crown land.”
Why is ILM limited to public land?
Public land management and use can be very different from that of private land. One of the strategies (Strategy 5) of the Land-Use Framework (LUF) talks about reducing the footprint on public and private land. ILM is way to manage public land use and the government is now working on a way to reduce the footprint on private land.
How does ILM fit with the Land-Use Framework and the new Regional Plans?
The Land-Use Framework is a strategic, high-level plan to make land-use decisions in Alberta. The regional plans will identify what land use goes where. ILM is the on-the-ground way to influence land-user behaviour, improve stewardship and reduce the relative footprint.
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