The selection of the provinces first Regional Advisory
Council (RAC) is underway. Earlier this month Minister of Sustainable Resource
Development Ted Morton distributed letters to various stakeholder groups across
the region for expression of interest in to participate on the regional
advisory council for the development of the Northeast Alberta Regional Plan
under the Land-use Framework.
The Alberta Environmental Network (AEN) received a letter
requesting nominations for an individual to represent the environmental sector.
Other stakeholder groups that received a similar letter include CEMA, AUMA,
CAPP, Alberta Outdoor Coalition and others.
Minster Morton is looking for 10 to 12 qualified
individuals. The Government will select RAC members based on a set of criteria
including an individuals understanding of the complexity of land and natural
resource use in northeast Alberta, expertise in land use, stewardship and
conservation, or resource management, and experience in a sector or community
of interest affected by land use issues and knowledge of strategies to address
these issues.
The Role of the RAC
The role of the RAC is to develop and recommend specific
strategies, actions and a range of options for consideration by the Government
of Alberta in the development of a plan for the region, anticipated for January
2010.
Advice will be provided in the following areas:
- Addressing trade-off decisions regarding land uses;
- Recommendations on thresholds to address cumulative effects;
- Identifying specific short, medium, and long-term strategies
to achieve the vision and outcomes in the LUF in northeast Alberta
including an implementation timeframe;
- Identification of land information, evaluation, monitoring
and assessment processes, and;
- Provide advice on the development and execution of a public
consultation process.
Decision-making processes within the RAC will be consensus
based. If consensus is not achieved a voting system will be applied.
Applications for RACs were due September 30, 2008. After the
RAC is formed meetings will begin in mid-October 2008.
A RAC for Southern Alberta...
The south is next!! A similar process will follow soon for
southern Alberta. A second RAC will be formed with an anticipated completion
date for a southern regional plan also in 2010.
