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Purpose and Content of Regional Plans

Purpose of Regional Plans

Regional plans will:

Reflect the vision, principles and outcomes of the Land-use Framework;
Define regional outcomes (economic, environmental and social) and a broad plan for land and natural resource use for public and private lands;
Align provincial strategies and policies at the regional level;
Consider the input from First Nations and Métis communities, stakeholders and the public;
Determine specific trade-offs and appropriate land and natural resource management for specific landscapes within a region;
Define the cumulative effects management approach for the region and identify targets and thresholds;
Provide direction and context for local plans within the region;
Recognize the authority and role of municipalities in local decision-making;
Be approved by Cabinet, thereby becoming government land-use policies for the region;
Be subject to regular reviews and public reporting;
Respect the rights of property owners, including the right to appeal and compensation; and
Be developed by the government with Albertans.

Regional plans may:

Identify a need to refine provincial policy;
Identify the need for more detailed plans to address specific needs and issues within the region.

Regional plans will require amendments if provincial policy or direction changes to ensure that provincial policy and regional plans remain aligned.

Contents of Regional Plans

Refer to the Alberta Land Stewardship Act for a legal description of the content of regional plans.

Regional plans have four key components:

Introduction	INFORMS	Includes the purpose of the regional plan, land-use planning and decision-making in Alberta, and how the regional plan will inform land-use decisions.
Strategic Plan	GUIDES	Includes the vision for the future of the region along with desired regional outcomes. It builds on existing policies and initiatives by establishing a set of strategic directions that help achieve the regional vision and outcomes.
Implementation Plan	DIRECTS	Includes regional objectives, strategies and actions that will be undertaken to support achievement of the regional vision and outcomes and indicators to measure and evaluate progress.
Regulatory Details Plan	ENABLES	Enables achieving the strategic direction and strategies and actions.

This site is prepared as an overview of land-use regional planning in Alberta. It is not a legal interpretation. Interested parties are encouraged to review the appropriate sections of the Alberta Land Stewardship Act, regional plans, related legislation and regulations. Refer to the Copyright and Disclaimer for terms of use.