Utility corridors on public land - procedure

• Subject: Utility Corridors on Public Land
• Procedure: PL 10.03
• Compiled by – Branch: Lands and Waters
• Section: Land Management
• Date Issued: October 27, 2006
• Replaces Directive Title: Utility Corridor Management
• Number: PL 4.10.03
• Dated: January 1, 2002

1.0 Purpose

To provide procedural guidelines in support of the implementation of Policy PL 4.10.03 Utility Corridors on Public Land.

2.0 Utility corridor review and authorization

2.1 District Manager responsibilities

1. Review application for new utility corridors on public land consistent with PL 4.10.03 Utility Corridors on Public Land (Policy) and PL 4.02.01 Application Review and Land Disposition Process (Policy and Procedure).
2. Ensure that all requirements of the Class Environmental Assessment for MNR Resource Stewardship and Facility Development Projects (MNR 2003) are met.
3. Determine if the applicant utility company has an existing memorandum of agreement (MOA) or multiple location land use permit (LUP) with the Ministry:
   • Yes: ensure that the provisions of the MOA are complied with; or
   • No: consults with the Land Management Section for further procedural direction on establishing an MOA or multiple site LUP, if the applicant utility company has already or has the potential to develop multiple sites.
4. If the application for a new utility corridor or related installation is approved, send a letter of authorization (with conditions as required) to the utility company for the development of the site and:
   • if the installation is such that a survey of the site is required and the tenure to be issued is a lease or easement (i.e. transmission fibre optic lines, pipelines, switching stations, etc..):
     • the letter of approval will also include permission/instructions to have the site surveyed – attached a completed Requirements for Crown Land Survey form and detailed sketch;
     • review the survey submission received form the surveyor to ensure that the surveyed parcel accurately reflects the boundaries of the approved location and if so, submit the entire survey submission to the Land Management Section (Peterborough), with an attached covering memo: (i) stating that the parcel as surveyed accurately reflects the approved location and (ii) enclosing a copy of the letter of approval to the utility company for the subject installation.
   • if the installation is such that a survey of the site is not required and the site is to be added to an existing multiple location LUP (i.e. electrical/transmission distribution lines, telephone lines, ground beds, etc..), submit the following information to Land Management Section (Peterborough) for the approved installation:
     • company name and company file number;
     • geographic township or lake area and name of waterbody;
     • type of installation (e.g. telephone line, electrical line) and whether it is buried, submarine, aerial, etc.;
     • type of line (e.g. fibre optic, copper, transmission, distribution, etc.); and
     • length and width of right of way.
5. Provide Land Management Section (Peterborough) with details of any installations which have been surrendered by a utility company.
6. Update MNR field office control maps and Natural Resource Values Information System (NRVIS) inventory and mapping with the location(s) of any new or surrendered installations.

2.2 Land management section responsibilities

For installations requiring a survey

• establish a rent review file in the MS Access data base and complete a Request for Survey Review and Legal Description form and submit survey submission to the Office of the Surveyor General for review;
• upon deposit of a survey plan and receipt of a legal description from the Office of the Surveyor General, prepare an Application for Crown Land and forward the application to the utility company for signing, along with a request to pay the first year’s rent and the administrative fee. The rent is not to be pro-rated, the utility company will be charged rent for the entire calendar year in which approval for the installation is given. The administrative fee will determined if applicable by the MOA and if, by application of Policy PL 4.10.03 Utility Corridors on Public Land;
• upon receipt of the signed Application for Crown Land and payment of the rent and administrative fee, prepare the appropriate requisition, obtain the District Manager approval and then forward the requisition to the Crown Land Registry for document preparation;
• upon receipt of the document, forward the document to the utility company for execution and upon return form the utility company, forward the signed document to the Crown land Registry for final processing and registration; and
• update the utility company’s Annual Fee Summary.

For installations not requiring a survey

• update the Appendix for the next year of the utility company’s multiple location LUP, based upon the information received from the MNR field office; and
• update the utility company’s Annual Fee Summaries and/or multiple location LUP appendices with respect to surrender of installation sites, based upon information received from the MNR field office.

3.0 Annual invoicing

The invoicing for all utility corridors and associated installations, including those authorized under land use permit, is completed by Land Management Section (Peterborough) as part of the centralized billing function of the Land Management Section.

By mid October of each calendar year, Land Management finalizes the Annual Fee Summary and/or multiple location LUP Appendix for each utility company and then calculates and summarizes the rent for the following calendar year.

The Annual Fee Summaries and LUP Appendices are sent to the utility companies through invoices prepare through OTAR/RARS invoice billing system.

4.0 References

• Class Environmental Assessment for MNR Resource Stewardship and Facility Development Projects (MNR 2003)
• PL 4.02.01 Application Review and Land Disposition Process
• PL 4.10.03 Utility Corridors on Public Land Policy
• PL 6.02.01 Administrative Fees for Public Lands Transactions