"Oil and gas, forestry and mining, agriculture
and recreation, housing and infrastructure are all in competition to use the
land...we have reached a tipping point where sticking with the old rules will not
produce the quality of life we have come to expect."Draft Land Use
Framework, Government of Alberta, 2008
The Basics
On May 21, 2008 the Government of Alberta
released the Draft Land Use Framework (LUF) - that proposes a new land use system to
"manage growth, not stop it and to sustain our
growing economy, but balance this with Albertans' social and environmental
goals."
The Draft LUF is quickly gaining a reputation as being one of the most important
policy initiatives led by the Government of Alberta comprehensive land use
issues in recent years.
What is being proposed?
The
Draft LUF sets out a future vision, a set of desired outcomes and guiding
principles, and six strategies that will guide the development of more detailed
regional land use plans and form the basis of a broad system for land use
management and decision making across Alberta.
For
a full copy of the Draft LUF, go to www.landuse.alberta.ca
Vision: The peoples of Alberta work together to respect and
care for the land as the foundation of our economic, environmental and social
well-being.
Desired outcomes: Action taken to implement the Land-use framework must
contribute-directly or indirectly-to the following outcomes:
- Sustainable
prosperity supported by our land and natural resources.
- Healthy
ecosystems and environment.
- Liveable
communities and recreational opportunities.
Six basic strategies
According to the Draft LUF,
there will be six basic strategies to improve land-use decision-making in
Alberta. The new land use system will
not fundamentally change current local-decision-making authority, however,
decisions will have to be consistent with the LUF. These strategies form a
strategic blueprint for the Government of Alberta to follow as the LUF is
implemented.
Strategy
1
Develop
six regional land-use plans based on six new land-use regions. Each regional
plan will set out regional land-use objectives.
Strategy
2
Form
a governance structure for implementing the LUF by creating a Cabinet Committee
supported by a Land-use Secretariat and establish a Regional Advisory Council
for each land-use region.
Strategy
3
Cumulative
effects management will be the instrument used at the regional level to manage
the impacts of development on land, water and air.
Strategy
4
Develop
a strategy for conservation and stewardship on private and public lands. Specifically, this will include new policy
instruments to encourage stewardship and conservation on private and public
lands.
Strategy
5
Establish
an information, monitoring and knowledge system. This will include reports on
the state of the land, progress on achieving land-use outcomes supported in
part by the province's new Biodiversity Monitoring Program.
Strategy
6
Include
aboriginal peoples in land-use planning.
For
detail on these strategies visit www.landuse.alberta.ca
Regional planning and
governance
Six
regional land-use plans based on six new land-use regions will be
developed. A Cabinet Committee,
supported by a Land-Use Secretariat, will be responsible for the development of
the regional plans with input from other government departments and appointed
Regional Advisory Councils. The regional plans will outline regional land-use
objectives to manage the impacts of development on land, water and air. Local
officials will retain decision-making authority over local land-use management
and planning; however, their decisions have to be consistent with the regional
land-use plan and the overall objectives of the framework.
For
detail on land-use regions and plans go to www.landuse.alberta.ca
Legislation
The
Government of Alberta has indicated the need for a legislative framework to
support the development of the regional plans.
An
Omnibus Bill is being prepared for spring 2009. An omnibus bill is a single
document that is accepted in a single vote by a legislature. It may contain new
legislation or amendments to existing laws.
The
framework also proposes:
-
A
cumulative effects system (based on thresholds and limits) to manage the
combined impacts of existing and new land-use activities.
- A
new policy to encourage conservation and stewardship.
- A
system for monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
- A
specific provision to include aboriginal people in land use planning.
