A call to find private property access solutions has evolved into a new app that’s entering the pilot-testing phase in rural Saskatchewan.

Saskatoon-based company Western Heritage developed the prototype, known as SaskLander, which is designed to give hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts a way to ask property owners for permission to access their land.

“The web app gives landowners the ability to specify which activities can take place on their private property and when,” SaskLander co-founder Aldo Scribante said in a press release.

“SaskLander uses a map interface to show all potential land users what land is available for use. It also gives them the ability, inside the app, to ask the property owner for permission to access that land.”

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The new app is intended to support changes made this year to The Trespass to Property Act, which requires members of the public to get permission from rural property owners before entering their land, provincial government officials said.

READ MORE: Saskatoon company develops property tracking technology to tackle rural crime

The pilot project for SaskLander will take place in the rural municipality (RM) of Shellbrook and is expected to conclude before the end of 2020.

SaskLander was developed through the government’s Innovation Challenge program, where the local technology sector is engaged to identify and develop solutions for everyday challenges in the province.

The first Innovation Challenge resulted in the creation of BeeSecure, which is designed to help resolve rural property thefts. The asset tracking system is now available in the commercial market.