LARP Workbook Cheat Sheet

Section 1 – Strategic Plan.

Vision:

The Lower Athabasca Region is a vibrant and dynamic region. People, industry and government partner to support development of the region and its oil sands reserves. Economic opportunities abound in forestry, minerals, agriculture, infrastructure development, the service industry, and tourism. The region’s air, water, land and biodiversity support healthy ecosystems and world class conservation areas. Growing communities are supported by infrastructure, and people can enjoy a wide array of recreation and cultural opportunities.

How strongly do you agree with the proposed vision for the Lower Athabasca Region?

Strongly disagree

Additional Comments:

I cannot agree with this vision statement as it does not mention the importance of respecting the Treaty rights of the Indigenous people who live the Lower Athabasca, thus failing to recognize the importance of a land use plan the protects bountiful and diverse ecosystems to ensure sustainable traditional livelihoods are available for local residents. Furthermore, it is glaringly obvious that this vision is intent on seeing a continuation of the status quo for industry, and the expansion of the oil sands rather than providing a framework to address the existing environmental, health and social concerns by promoting the development of renewable energy and low-impact, regenerative, economic opportunities with real green jobs.

Outcomes:

Provincially:

• Healthy economy supported by our land and resources;

• Healthy ecosystems and environment; and

• People-friendly communities with ample recreational and cultural opportunities.

Regionally:

1. The economic potential of the oil sands resource is optimized.

2. The region’s economy is diversified.

3. Landscapes are managed to maintain ecosystem function and biodiversity.

4. Air and water are managed to support human and ecosystem needs.

5. Infrastructure development supports economic and population growth.

6. The quality of life of residents is enhanced through increased opportunities for recreation and active living.

7. Aboriginal peoples are included in land-use planning.

Somewhat agree

Additional Comments: 800 characters

Respect for the Treaty Rights of First Nations must be included in the provincial outcomes identified for land use planning. Thus I would suggest including a fourth provincial outcome: ‘Protection and preservation of Treaty Rights for First Nations and Treaty Beneficiaries’

Regionally, there must be stronger language asserting the full and meaningful inclusion of Aboriginal peoples within land use planning. I would suggest changing #7 to be: ‘The Treaty and Indigenous Rights of Aboriginal People be fully upheld and respected and Aboriginal people be fully included throughout the process of land use planning.” Also I do not agree that the economic potential of the oil sands should be optimized as the costs are too high, also the 2nd regional outcome would be compromised.

Strategic Direction #1

Improving Integration of Industrial Activities

Somewhat agree

Additional Comments:

Improvement must be made to ensure the impacts from industrial activities are mitigated, however they must come from the need to ensure the environment is put first and that Treaty Rights are upheld and respected. Thus planning to improve integration of industrial activities must come with clear input and authority from local Indigenous peoples for land management. This could be done by funding a Traditional Land and Resource Use Management Plan (TRUP) to fill in info gaps on criteria, thresholds & indicators necessary to sustain Treaty rights. Also establishing co-management boards, or other cooperative land and resource management arrangements, guided by the principles of shared decision-making and joint stewardship for lands and resources of critical importance to Treaty rights

Strategic Direction #2

Encouraging timely and progressive reclamation

Somewhat agree

Additional Comments:

There must be intensive and meaningful co-management of reclamation, where Indigenous people are stewards of this process. Indigenous science is central to recovery of disturbed ecosystems, and large scale research must be proactively conducted on how reclamation can be done effectively. Furthermore the practices of treaty rights are not only about access to subsistence resources, but also the ability to practice, and transmit place-based cultural knowledge. Where disturbance involves removal, alteration, or denial of access to areas & land forms relied on for teaching, then the cultural landscape is fundamentally and irrevocably changed. In these circumstances, permanent impacts to the cultural landscape cannot be mitigated through even the best reclamation techniques.

Strategic Direction #3

Managing air, water and biodiversity and minimizing land disturbance

Some what agree

Additional Comments:

To establish environmental limits and triggers there must be the inclusion of data from traditional use and treaty rights studies, so that thresholds for air, water, land and biodiversity levels ensure that treaty and Indigenous rights practices are upheld within the management frameworks. In addition, once these thresholds are established, it is imperative that local Indigenous people and their leadership are involved in developing the measures for if these thresholds are surpassed and serve a meaningful role with authority throughout the development and implementation of the management frameworks.

Strategic Direction #4

Designating new conservation areas

Somewhat agree

Additional Comments:

The conservation areas describe within this draft plan are totally inadequate and do not reflect protections for culturally and environmentally important areas for local Indigenous peoples to practice their Treaty rights. There should be a minimum of 50% of the Lower Athabasca Region protected despite Industrial interests in the area. Similarly, conservation areas must have firm protection for the lands and waters, thus ending all industrial and high-impact recreational activities within the areas. Furthermore, conservation areas must be co-managed with First Nations and a publicly accountable body to ensure the area is truly protected and that Treaty rights are upheld.

Strategic Direction #5

Strengthening infrastructure planning

Somewhat agree

Additional Comments:

The Comprehensive Regional Infrastructure Sustainability Planning program must include assessments of environmental, social, health, cultural impacts, and impacts to constitutionally protected rights not just the economic needs of the oil sands. Furthermore, the meaningful involvement of Indigenous peoples to have authority in scoping, setting the terms of reference, and implementing the planning process must be at the core of this process.

Strategic Direction #6

Providing new recreation and tourism opportunities

somewhat agree

Additional Comments:

Treaty and Indigenous rights have been adversely impacted by recreational uses. Impacts occur through vandalism, competition for traditional resources, direct conflict and threat on safety, and adverse effects to the spiritual and aesthetic experience of place that are important to identity and feelings of security. Further restrictions that may be implemented to manage recreational use may impact the ability of First Nations people to practice their rights. Therefore, recreational use is not necessarily compatible with respect for Treaty and Indigenous Rights. Involvement of First Nations in planning and managing recreational use is absolutely necessary to ensure that such use can occur in a way that minimizes land use conflict and optimizes the possibilities for compatibility.

Strategic Direction #7

Including aboriginal peoples in land-use planning

Some what agree

Additional Comments:

Including Indigenous people within the land-use planning as the last of 7 priorities doesn't do justice to the inherent Indigenous and treaty rights of the First Nations peoples who have lived in the Lower Athabasca region since time immemorial. It was the Treaties that put forth the framework for the relationship between First Nations and Settlers and thus the spirit and intent to reconcile the interests of Canadians and First Nations must be a primary goal of the LARP. More specifically the principals of Treaty 8 and Treaty 6 must be the principals of the LARP. Entrenching the involvement of First Nations and Indigenous knowledge holders throughout the totality of the LARP planning and implementation will only help to strengthen the plan to ensure the best interest of the public is met.

Section Two: Implementation Plan

Regional Outcome #1

The economic potential of the oil sands resource is optimized

Not At All

Additional Comments:

The violation of treaty rights poses serious threats to optimizing oils sands potential due to drawn out legal suits and interventions from the Federal government. Thus, it is a must that First Nations be included in regulating and managing this resource and a respect for Treaty and Indigenous rights be entrenched within any strategy that is put forward. Similarly co-management boards & cooperative land and resource management arrangements should be set up with respect to any future oil sands project. Similarly a reasonable share of wealth generated from traditional lands and associated resources should flow to those First Nations who suffer, or have suffered, direct, indirect, or cumulative adverse effects.

Comments on implementation considerations:

The economic imperative of oil sands development is clearly identified as the central and primary goal for the region. This characterization of the economy of the Lower Athabasca Region completely misses the fact that there is a valid and important subsistence economy in this region. The subsistence economy is fundamental to the well-being, health, diet and culture of aboriginal peoples in the region. The economic and cultural reality of the subsistence economy should be recognized and validated.

Comments on indicators:

There should be an equity indicator to highlight the disbursement of profits from the oil sands across the demographics involved, including the corporations, government, and workers. Additionally there should be an environmental health and community health indicator to provide a more holistic look at the true costs when trying to reflect the benefits of oils sands production.

Regional Outcome #2

The regions’ economy is diversified

Additional Comments:

There must be support for the traditional subsistence economy that exists within the region and focuses solely on boosting resource extraction oriented industries will hold communities in the region hostage to this one type of economy.

Comments on Implementation considerations

Treaty and Indigenous rights must be mentioned in this section as a base condition that cannot be violated through economic growth. This must include an objective to maintain underlying factors and resources that sustain the traditional subsistence economy that Indigenous people depend on, including controls on the pace and scale of development that would assist in optimizing land use opportunities over time.

Comments on indicators:

Meaningful involvement of First Nations must happen to develop real indicators that can showcase the progress of not only an industrial economy, but also a subsistence one within the Lower Athabasca Region.

Regional Outcome #2 cont.

Maintain and diversify the regions agricultural industry

Comments on strategies:

While agriculture may be a primary use in the southern LAR area, the northern region does not have agriculture as a long term priority use. The long term use of this region has been for practice of Indigenous livelihoods and this should remain the priority use of this region.

Comments on implementation

Treaty and Indigenous rights must be mentioned in this section as a base condition that cannot be violated through the expansion of the agricultural industry, or the transformation of agricultural land to other uses. Co-management boards & cooperative land and resource management arrangements should be set up with respect to any municipal plans for agricultural operations or other land uses that impact First Nation’s territory.

Comments on indicators:

Meaningful involvement of First Nations must happen to develop real indicators that can showcase the progress of not only an agricultural economy, but also a subsistence one within the Lower Athabasca Region.

Regional Outcome #2 cont.

Tourism potential of the region is optimized

Comments:

Comments on implementation

Treaty and Indigenous rights must be mentioned in this section as a base condition that cannot be violated through the expansion tourism and recreation. Co-management boards & cooperative land and resource management arrangements should be set up with respect to any tourism and recreation plans or other land uses that impact First Nation’s territory.

Comments on Indicators

Meaningful involvement of First Nations must happen to develop real indicators that can showcase the progress of not only a profit driven economy, but also a subsistence one within the Lower Athabasca Region.

Regional Outcome #2 cont.

Opportunities for the responsible exploration, development and extraction of energy, mineral and coal resources are maintained.

Natural gas produced in the region supports the production of oil sands. Exploring for, developing and extracting minerals and coal are also an important part of the region’s economy.

Comments:

The violation of treaty rights poses serious threats to supporting responsible exploration, development & extraction due to drawn out legal suits and interventions from the Federal government. Thus, it is a must that First Nations be included in regulating and managing any resource extraction and a respect for Treaty and Indigenous rights be entrenched within any strategy that is put forward. Similarly co-management boards & cooperative land and resource management arrangements should be set up with respect to any future exploration, development or extraction project. Similarly a reasonable share of wealth generated from traditional lands and associated resources should flow to those First Nations who suffer, or have suffered, direct, indirect, or cumulative adverse effects.

Comments:

The economic imperative of oil sands development and resource extraction industries is clearly identified as the central and primary goal for the region. This characterization of the economy of the Lower Athabasca Region completely misses the fact that there is a valid and important subsistence economy in this region. The subsistence economy is fundamental to the well-being, health, diet and culture of Indigenous peoples in the region. The economic and cultural reality of the subsistence economy should be recognized and validated.