Land Use Planning in the Deh Cho territory

Overview

• Who are the Land Use Planning Committee?

• What is Land Use Planning?• How does this relate to the Deh Cho

Process?• What have we accomplished?• What are the next steps?• How and when do communities and

planning partners get involved?

Who Are We?

• 5 Committee members– 2 DCFN reps (Tim Lennie and Petr Cizek)– 1 GNWT rep (Bea Lepine)– 1 Federal Government rep (Adrian Boyd)– Chairman selected by the other 4 members (Herb

Norwegian)• 5 Staff members

– Executive Director (Heidi Wiebe)– Office Manager (Sophie Bonnetrouge) – GIS Analyst (Chris Turner)– Land Use Planner Trainee (Priscilla Canadien)– Recruiting Land Use Planner

What is Land Use Planning?

• Land Use Planning means determining what types of land use activities should occur and where they should take place

• “The purpose of the plan is to promote the social, cultural and economic well-being of residents and communities in the Deh Cho territory, having regard to the interests of all Canadians.”

• Our planning area extends to the whole Deh Cho territory, excluding municipal areas and Nahanni National Park Reserve

What is Land Use Planning?

Potential Land Uses

Land Use Policies

Decisions

ZoningNo development

Development with conditions

Development

Timber

Tourism

Mining

Oil and Gas

Land Use Planning Process

Map traditional land use and occupancy for hunting, fishing, trapping, gathering, and cultural sites.

Identify sensitive harvesting and cultural areas.

Biologist identifies critical wildlife areas.

Forester identifies areas of high timber potential.

Geologist identifies areas of high oil and gas potential.

Geologist identifies areas of high mineral potential.

Overlay maps, make decisions and prepare land use plan.

Social, Economic and Demographic Factors

Forecast population growth over 20 years and identify job creation needs and skill levels.

Identify maximum job creation potential in each natural resource sector.

Balance job creation goals between sectors to meet needs, skill levels, and economic diversification

Integrate with land use zoning decisions to ensure enough land is available to support each sector.

Tourism

Oil and Gas

Mining

Commercial Wildlife Harvesting

Timber

Special Management or Buffer Zones

1. Functional Restrictions Seasonal Pollution Discharge Specific Activities (roads, clear-

cutting)

2. Spatial Restrictions (Proximity) Strict conditions on development

near water, wildlife habitat and cultural sites

3. Spatial Restrictions (Density) Establish upper limits or thresholds

on amount of development per area

Land Use Zoning Concept Map

Core Protected Area – No Development

Core Development Zone

Buffer Zone – Restricted Development

Planning vs. Management

• Our mandate is to plan for future resource development – map potential, identify issues, write final plan to show “what” and “where”

• We are not involved in past, current or future resource applications – current government structures do that (DCFN, GNWT and Gov of Canada)

• May change with Deh Cho Process – Future Deh Cho Resource Management Authority

Land Use Planning and the Deh Cho Process

• Land Use Planning is only one part of the larger Deh Cho Process of negotiations looking at land, resource management and governance issues

• Land Use Planning will be completed in the next few years while the Deh Cho Process is expected to take until 2008

• The Land Use Plan will be used by the 3 parties in their negotiations

Interim Land Withdrawals

• Interim Land Withdrawals and land use planning use the same process

• Land Withdrawals are a rough estimate based on broad information

• Land Use Planning is a longer process, with time to collect more information and make more informed decisions

• Withdrawals are for 5 years to give us time to develop a plan and get it approved

Interim Land Withdrawals

Our Process

Established by the Interim Measures Agreement:

Phase 1 – Committee establishment and office setup

Phase 2 – Information gathering and analysis

Phase 3 – Plan preparationPhase 4 – Plan implementation

Accomplishments

Committee establishmentOffice setup (Fort Providence)Staff recruitmentInitiate research through contractsDevelop communications materialsCompile research into Deh Cho Atlas and

summariesBuild awareness of Committee activities

Next Steps

• August/September - First Round of Information Sharing Sessions

• Fall– Develop Economic Assessment model – Data Integration and Analysis– Wildlife Working Group– Develop preliminary land use options

• Winter– Evaluate economics of options using economic assessment

model– Second round of community visits to present draft land use

options

Economic Development Assessment Model

• Determine costs & benefits of land use decisions so we make better decisions– Example: If a pipeline is developed how many jobs will be

created, how much revenue?• Model the current economy then predict the next 20

years• Will include traditional and wage economies• Allows us to see the economic impact of developing each

business sector, and a few specific projects• Currently under development - to be completed in

December• Requires lots of information - we’ll need community

support to gather and confirm economic information

Data Integration & Analysis

• Fix data• Build conservation zones • Build development zones • Overlay conservation &

development zones to create Preliminary Overlay

• Compare with current land withdrawals

• Develop Land Use Options

Fix Data Gaps

• Fix errors and formatting• Fill in gaps – workgroups, new info• Wildlife Working Group

– Week long gathering of hunters, trappers, harvesters and biologists from the Deh Cho territory (nominate)

– Review current wildlife maps, correct errors and fill in gaps

– Integrate traditional and scientific knowledge

– Late Fall

Conservation ZonesTraditional Use Areas

Protected Areas

Stream Buffers Critical Habitat

Scenic Areas

Development Zones

Mineral Potential

Oil and Gas Potential Timber Potential

Tourism Potential

Preliminary Land Use Map

+

Development Zones

Conservation Zones

Preliminary Overlay Map showing overlap between conservation and

development zones where land use decisions must be made

Compare to Land Withdrawals

+ ?

•Compare preliminary overlay to land withdrawals

•Identify conservation zones not yet withdrawn

•Identify key development zones that have been withdrawn

•Revise land withdrawals

Land Use Options

• Use conservation and development maps to develop five land use options ranging from full protection to full development

• Different options are created by changing the priorities between development and protection of different resources

+

Importance

1 - 10

Importance

1-10

=5 4 3 2 1

5 Options

Economic Options

• Apply Economic Assessment Model to each of the five land use options to assess economic implications of each

• Results are regional not community based

• Land Use Options and Economic results will be presented at the next round of consultations

Next Steps

• Develop land use options• Present and revise options based on

consultations (repeat as required)• Integrate cumulative effects research and

identify landscape thresholds for the Deh Cho• Integrate social and economic considerations

into planning analysis• Produce draft land use plan• Present plan for comments and revise based on

feedback received until approved

Planning Partners

• Deh Cho First Nations, Government of the Northwest Territories, Government of Canada must approve the plan

• Deh Cho residents are the first priority• Businesses, associations, non-government

organizations also consulted• Raise awareness among general public,

schools, public service providers• The approved plan needs to meet a diverse

set of objectives and values

Participation

Why get involved?• The Committee acts as a funnel for information

on land use planning. Land use decisions come from comments and feedback provided, not from the Committee itself.

• Your comments make the plan better and ensure your interests are heard. No one else can speak for you.

• The Land Use Plan will be legally binding and will guide future decisions on resource development, protected areas and other land uses.

Participation

How and when can you get involved?• Presentations and consultations• Wildlife working group and other workshops• Contact or visit our office in Fort Providence

anytime (or phone, fax, email)

Questions?

Report Summaries

• Wildlife• Minerals• Oil & Gas• Tourism• Socio Demographic• Timber – Incomplete – Due end of August• Traditional Use• Deh Cho Atlas V.2b

Wildlife• 308 species in the Deh Cho territory (3 amphibians, 36

fish, 213 birds and 56 mammals)• Key species include:

– Caribou, Moose, Bison, Fish and Waterfowl for consumption– Trumpeter Swan, Whooping Crane, Peregrine Falcon

(Endangered)– Black Bear, Grizzly Bear, Furbearers, Dall’s Sheep, and Mountain

Goat (Trapping & Hunting species)

• Critical wildlife areas include: – Nahanni National Park Reserve – Mackenzie Bison Sanctuary (denning, staging and calving, etc.)– Edehzhie – Central area between Fort Liard & Wrigley

• Information gaps to be filled by hunters & trappers

Caribou

Dall’s Sheep, Mountain Goat, Moose, Bison

Bears and Furbearers

Birds and Fish

Wildlife Potential

Minerals

• Assessed 9 mineral types thought to have the most potential in the region

• The highest potential is in the western tip of the territory, moderate in the west-central portions and low in the remaining areas

• The western portion has high to very high potential for Skarn (Lead-Zinc, Gold and Tungsten)

• The most significant minerals types are Copper, Lead-Zinc & Tungsten (existing mines)

Minerals

Oil & Gas

• 20 hydrocarbon plays in the Deh Cho– 9 confirmed– 11 unconfirmed

• 419 hydrocarbon wells drilled, most are wildcat wells (exploratory) but 127 of them have found hydrocarbons

• Current producing regions are Fort Liard and Cameron Hills; other significant discoveries found but not yet developed

• Greatest potential is in the Liard Plateau and the Great Slave Plain (northern extension of the western sedimentary basin)

Oil and Gas Potential

Tourism

• The highest potential for tourism follows the Mackenzie and Liard River valleys and radiates out from communities (the “hub and spoke” effect.)

• The river valleys are exceptionally scenic, offer various types of tourism experiences and have good access

• Key tourism destinations include Nahanni National Park Reserve, the Ram Plateau and North Nahanni River, Little Doctor Lake, Cli Lake, Keele River, Canol Road and some lodges

• Deh Cho tourism is not well developed but has lots of potential - it can still offer tourists pristine wilderness free from commercial interruption

Tourism Potential

Socio-Demographic Forecast

Year 1999 2009 2019

Population 6743 7487 8232

Job Creation Needs

561 574 518

• 11 communities

• Population ~ 6,700

Socio-Demographic Forecast

• Currently labour force participation approximately 55% and unemployment rate is 15%

• In small communities labour force participation is expected to reach 100% over the next 20 years

• Population set to increase but little change in overall job creation needs

• Mackenzie Valley Pipeline alone will not solve Deh Cho employment issues– High skill level requirements– Boom and bust cycle

Timber Potential

• Preliminary results suggest productive timber stands around Fort Liard, Nahanni region, Jean Marie River and the Cameron Hills

• Current timber harvest well below sustainable harvest levels

• Good potential in this resource sector• Report to be distributed soon

Timber Potential

Traditional Use

• Information gathered by DCFN

• Consulted over 300 harvesters and mapped information

• Project to be completed shortly (this fall?)

• Planning Committee only gets the results of this information

• DCFN maintains control of data and protects confidentiality

Deh Cho Atlas

• First Atlas created by DCFN

• Second atlas being done by the Planning Committee

• Meant to provide a source of information for reference

• Will continue to be updated as time permits

Information Needs

• What other types of information do you need to make land use decisions?

Mahsi Cho!

• Check our website regularly for updated information (www.dehcholands.org)

• Please fill out and return questionnaires

• Questions? Discussion?