To compensate the CPR for alienated or non-arable land in the 40-mile-wide (64 km) strip, the province allowed the Government of Canada to take control of 3,500,000 acres within B.C., northeast of the Rocky Mountains.
The south boundary begins at the intersection of the Alberta-British Columbia border and the Twentieth Baseline of the Dominion Land Survey, and the north boundary begins at the Twenty-third Baseline; however, both boundaries are run at right angles to the Alberta-British Columbia Border without accounting for meridian convergence and thus deviate south of each baseline.
While the land was in Dominion control the province still provided roads, schools, and other normal provincial government services.
Conflicts between the federal and provincial governments occurred over the jurisdiction over land, water, and mineral rights.
An agreement was reached between the two governments on February 20, 1930, which returned the block and the Railway Belt to the provincial government at the same time that public land and mineral rights were transferred to the Prairie Provinces.