The provincial government released the first draft Lower Athabasca Regional Plan (LARP) last week to mixed reviews from opposition parties, industry, and environmental groups.
Consultations will take place locally before a final draft is created, in Bonnyville on April 18 at the ACFA Hall, St. Paul on April 19 at the Rec Centre, and Cold Lake April 20 and May 10 at the Energy Centre, May 11 at the Glendon Seniors Centre, and Elk Point May 12 at the Seniors Recreation Centre.
The new draft calls for two million hectares of "protected lands," areas set aside for conservation. The draft includes 10 new provincial parks and six new public lands areas, including Lakeland Country as a "major tourist destination," according to a press release.
"No regional plan will be approved until legislation that clarifies our respect for property rights is passed in the Legislature," Minister of Sustainable Resources Mel Knight said in the press release.
The Alberta Forest Products Association issued a statement of support for the principles of the Land-Use Framework and indicated it would participate in the discussion on the South Saskatchewan plan.
The Regional Advisory Committee for the South Saskatchewan Region gave its advice to government in March, highlighting water, economic development, and conservation areas as key areas to include in the plan.
The plan for the North Saskatchewan Region, which includes St. Paul and area, has not yet been released.
The LARP draft reinforced the Wildrose Alliance's view on Bill 36, said Shayne Saskiw, Wildrose Alliance candidate for the Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills constituency.
"This is a game changer for this particular issue," he said. While government has been saying, "We can't just unilaterally cancel existing property rights, well look what they just did. They unilaterally cancelled an oilsands lease," he said.
If government can cancel those leases, "what hope does a farmer have if the cabinet can unilaterally cancel some of their property rights, like a grazing lease or a water right?" he asked.
The draft identified nearly two-million hectares of potential conservation land in the Lower Peace Region, which would connect to existing and proposed areas in the lower Athabasca Region and Wood Buffalo National Park. The areas would include part of the range and habitat for six caribou herds and will advance caribou recovery efforts, said the press release.
The Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) criticized the LARP draft, saying that it sacrifices northeast Alberta's wilderness and that it falls "far short of its own and international targets for protecting northeast Alberta's ecosystems for future generations," in a press release.
AWA said the plan will leave no caribou range protected and that "This decision will guarantee the extinction of woodland caribou in the Athabasca region."
The NDP also spoke out against the draft, calling it further evidence of the government's determination to ignore good science and long-term prosperity to keep big business friends happy, said MLA Rachel Notley in a press release.
