Crown Land Management
The health and safety of Northerners and the protection of the environment, through the management of Crown lands, are a top priority for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC).
What is INAC doing to manage Crown lands in the Northwest Territories?
INAC manages surface activities on Crown lands in the Northwest Territories through the administration, regulation and enforcement of renewable and non-renewable legislation. Crown lands and the federal department with administration and control of those lands are now defined in the exclusion list contained in the Northwest Territories Devolution Agreement.
The Resource and Land Management Directorate supports environmental protection and economic development in the territory through the administration of surface and sub-surface rights on federal lands; the management of On-Reserve lands and environment; the administration of northern off-shore oil and gas interests, and environmental assessments on federal lands.
Highlights
On April 1, 2014, the administration and control of public lands and resources were transferred from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada to the Government of the Northwest Territories. This transfer includes the administration, control and management of onshore lands, waters, mines, minerals, and oil and gas in the NWT. The Government of Canada will retain responsibility for the remediation of existing significant contaminated waste sites, the administration of the issuance of rights and interests to the offshore, the negotiation of land claims and environmental assessments.
What Information is Available?
In this section you will find information on INAC's role in the administration of Crown lands, territorial lands and regulations, and land use in the Northwest Territories. As well, you will find out about what INAC's inspectors do.