WHEREAS the Ministry of Agriculture’s Lands Branch consults with the municipality when selling Crown land within its jurisdiction, to allow the municipality an opportunity to complete gravel exploration prior to the sale, and the municipality is expected to consider and complete the exploration, and respond to the ministry in a timely manner;

WHEREAS municipalities may purchase Crown land, when there is a need for municipal purpose and the process is often delayed pending appraisals and other consultations;

WHEREAS municipalities often require that the sale of Crown land be approved in a timely manner as there may be grants available to a municipality that could be jeopardized if the sale were not approved;

BE IT RESOLVED that an appraisal company, listed on the Ministry of Agriculture’s Lands Branch approved list of appraisers, be allowed to be hired by a municipality without prior meetings or consultations with the ministry, thereby avoiding unnecessary delays;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SARM lobby the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands Branch to implement a policy to complete the review and sale of crown land, to a municipality, within a six-month period.