In an effort to control the unwieldy, laissez-faire land use that is decimating parts of the province, the Alberta government is introducing legislation in the hopes of gaining  back some control.  From the Globe and Mail;

The Alberta Land Stewardship Act (ALSA), for which changes were proposed this week in the face of mounting pressure, is billed as a Canadian first and gives the cabinet power to finalize long-needed regional plans in the province’s seven watersheds.

Though, as you can imagine would happen in Canada’s Wild West, there is opposition to any legislation that would infringe on private property rights.

The issue rose to prominence over the past year or so, but has political undertones. Keith Wilson, a veteran Alberta lawyer, has played host to 24 meetings across rural Alberta warning people of the “unprecedented legal powers” the law creates.

“They’re creating a central planning system,” Mr. Wilson argues.

But the government rejects the claim and quietly questions the motive of Mr. Wilson, who once sat on a constituency association for the opposition Wildrose Alliance, which has used the law as a wedge issue for rural voters. (Mr. Wilson insists he’s careful to remain non-partisan in his legal work.)

Even when the government tries to make good, the inertia of past practise is a difficult thing to overcome.