ATHABASCA LAND USE PLAN

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The Place

The Athabasca Land Use Plan was initiated in 2000 and is the largest regional planning initiative ever undertaken in Saskatchewan. It covers our far north and includes almost 20% of the province (see yellow region on map).

The People

This planning area is a major portion of the traditional lands of the Athabasca Denesuline, the Dené people of northern Saskatchewan. Their traditional lands continue to stretch north of Saskatchewan across the territories to the tree line.

The Athabasca Land Use Plan is different from other current and completed land use plans in that it is the result of a unique agreement between the Prince Albert Grand Council, the Dené First Nations, the communities of the area, and the Province. This means that it is not just a provincial planning initiative, but a partnership project between the provincial government and the people of far northern Saskatchewan. Outside public interest groups at the planning table include CPAWS and the Saskatchewan Mining Association.

The Planning Process

This planning process is intended to make decisions on how humans use the land and resources, and how wilderness and ecological values will be protected.

The process involves two stages. The first stage focuses on a 50 km wide corridor flanking the winter road from Wollaston Lake to the communities of Black Lake, Stony Rapids, and Fond du Lac on Lake Athabasca. The second stage includes the remainder of the planning area.

Cultural and Ecological Mapping. A primary focus of the plan has been collecting and analyzing information from all possible sources on the planning area. The Prince Albert Grand Council carried out an extremely in-depth study of traditional land use in the planning area, obtaining data from over 500 traditional land users on their hunting, trapping, fishing, cultural sites (burial, camping and spiritual areas) and travel routes across the unroaded and sparsely populated area. The information has been mapped and is enormously useful in terms of understanding what is on the land,and what is important to the local people and to the maintenance of their communities, cultures and way of life.

This mapping has also been useful to CPAWS in terms of highlighting areas of high value for wildlife habitat, information not available from any other source. Using this and other information from the government, plus our own satellite based mapping, CPAWS has identified a number of target conservation areas with high ecological value, and corridors providing connectivity between landscapes. Together, these conservation areas have the potential to help preserve ecological integrity in a large, and largely region of the the province that is now facing major change from mining and road developments.

Protected Areas. At the outset of the planning process, the Athabasca Sand Dunes Wilderness Provincial Park was the only protected area in the planning region (see site in green on map above). During initial stages of the planning process, three new sites (see sites in red) along the Northwest Territorial border were identified and designated with "interim" protection. Unfortunately, the Province refused to remove mineral rights from the sites.

Current Situation

Over the years the Advisory Panel held many meetings, including meetings in all the communities in the planning area. Most of the (draft) Stage One Plan was written by 2003 and was later completed for public review in early 2006.

The name of the draft plan is Nuhenene K'eyaghe ?ela ?eghandaida (Working on the Land Together). It provides for areas of protection based on both traditional cultural needs and conservation of the natural environment, as well as large areas open for development.

Approval of the Stage One Plan has long since been held up by government. As a result, completion date for the Athabasca land use plan cannot be forecasted at this time.

LEARN MORE:

CPAWS Work in the Forest An overview of CPAWS Saskatchewan's conservation work in the forest.

The Athabasca Region Learn about the "Land of Little Sticks."

The Athabasca Sand Dunes Discover Saskatchewan's largest "desert".

Tazin Lake and Selwyn Lake Upland Ecoregions Learn about Saskatchewan's northern-most ecoregions.

Cree Lake   coming soon...

Special Places Read stories about special places in Saskatchewan including the Athabasca Region.