Alberta’s prosperity has created opportunities for the economy and people, but it also has created challenges for Alberta’s landscapes. Industrial activity, municipal development, infrastructure, recreation, and conservation interests are often competing to use the same piece of land. The competition between user groups creates conflict and often puts stress on the finite capacity of Alberta’s land, air, water, and habitat.
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The purpose of the Land-use Framework is to manage growth, not stop it, and to sustain the growing economy, but balance this with Albertans’ social and environmental goals.
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Consultations with Albertans indicate widespread support for greater provincial leadership on land-use issues. The Alberta government must provide the kind of policy direction and guidelines and opportunities that the local levels of government cannot. The Land-use Framework will leave local decision-making authority with the same officials who currently exercise it. However, in the future, these decisions will have to be consistent with regional plans. Accordingly, the Land-use Framework consists of seven basic strategies to improve land-use decision-making in Alberta.
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·       ÂDevelop seven regional land-use plans based on seven new land-use regions.
·       ÂCreate a Land-use Secretariat and establish a Regional Advisory Council for each region.
·       ÂCumulative effects management will be used at the regional level to manage the impacts of development on land, water and air.
·       ÂDevelop a strategy for conservation and stewardship on private and public lands.
·       ÂPromote efficient use of land to reduce the footprint of human activities on Alberta’s landscape.
·       ÂEstablish an information, monitoring and knowledge system to contribute to continuous improvement of land-use planning and decision making.
·       ÂInclude aboriginal peoples in land-use planning.
Land-use Framework Background Links
* Land-use Framework:Â What You Should Know - Summer, 2009
* Land-use Framework: Lend A Voice - Fall, 2009
* Land-use Framework Backgrounder - September, 2010
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