Land Use Planning

CSTC LUP News

The following section contains information regarding CSTC land use planning projects, reports and Newsletters.

CSTC Land Use Planning Newsletter -  March 2010 - (1.15 MB)

CSTC Land Use Planning Newsletter - July 2008 - (1.7 MB)
CSTC Land Use Planning Year End Report - (200 KB) Submitted to CSTC AGA 2008
CSTC Land Use Planning Year End Report - (67 KB) Submitted to CSTC AGA 2006
CSTC Land Use Planning Newsletter - January 2007 (7 MB)

Land Use Planning Basics

Generally, land use planning is about accommodating various interests and issues about the current and future use of lands and their resources. The Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) defines planning to mean:

"…the scientific, aesthetic, and orderly disposition of land, resources, facilities and services with a view to securing the physical, economic and social efficiency, health and well-being of urban and rural communities. "

Typically land use plans are:

●  Limited to a legal, geographic or socio-cultural jurisdiction;
●  Can be developed at different scales (e.g. city, reserve, watershed);
●  Can be governed by values, guiding principles, and rules;
●  Can be guided by goals for economic development and principles of sustainability.

There are many processes used to develop land use plans, involving various degrees of participation and consultation. At the regional level of planning the focus is on allocation of resources (i.e. rights to access, who gets to do what and where they can do it). Regional land use plans provide frameworks (not necessarily by law) to guide resource development and detailed planning at a smaller scale. In urban settings, land use plans are established by zoning laws and concern details at smaller scales of development, including such matters as residential design, setbacks, and location of industrial sites. Land use plans should be viewed as ‘living documents’ that require frequent (every 5 years) review to reflect changes in social, ecological and economic situations.

Land Use Planning at CSTC

The CSTC has been working on developing a Territorial Stewardship Plan for the CSTC territory since 2004.  Several issues are making this work very challenging:

  • Lack of a Government-to-Government Protocol between CSTC and BC
  • Lack of secure multi-year funding
  • Lack of trained CSTC community members

While there are other challenges the CSTC faces regarding land use planning, there are many opportunities and benefits that member First Nations will gain from this work, including:

  • Empowering the CSTC Communities - Awareness of controlling and creating plan for its future.
  • Build Expertise & Tools - Training in various areas such as land use planning, environmental monitoring, mapping and project management increases the communications and skills of community members for self-governing activities.
  • Protect Culture and Resources - Areas that are vitally important for the communities can be identified and protected for current and future generations.
  • Healing - Besides re-building Yinka Dene self-government institutions, planning also helps with the healing process of reconciling internal divisions and the relationship with the Crown and settler society.

There are many benefits to land use planning by the CSTC, for the CSTC communities and other surrounding communities.  The Province of BC has undertaken land use planning processes through the development of their Land and Resource Managment Plans (LRMPs).  Since this process does not address some fundamentally important issues for the CSTC communities like recognition of title and rights, government-to-government and shared decision-making authority, the CSTC member First Nations, and many First Nations in BC, have refrained from participating until certain concessions can be made.  Recent discussions between the BC First Nations Leaderhship Council and the BC Crown (through the Integrated Lands Managment Bureau-ILMB) are considering how to create a new approach to land use planning in BC that will respect First Nations and live up to the New Relationship.  Currently there are 9 Provincial land use planning processes (LRMPs) that are within the CSTC territory.

Map of Forest Districts within CSTC Territory (350 KB)

The CSTC territory (made of the the combined 8 member First Nations) is approximately 76,000 sq. kms (7.6 million hectares) which is roughly twice the size of Vancouver Island and close to the size of Ireland.

Funding for CSTC’s LUP Project has been made possible in part by the INAC BC Capacity Initiative program.