Cabinet appoints Regional Advisory Council

December 2008

Cabinet appoints Lower Athabasca Regional Advisory Council members (2009) to provide advice, insight and perspective on current and future land-use activities and challenges in the region. The RAC is comprised of members with a cross-section of expertise and experience in the region.

Cabinet approves terms of reference

July 2009

The Terms of Reference for Developing the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan (2009) sets out the process by which the regional plan will be developed, and provides guidance from Cabinet on specific economic, environmental and social factors that must be considered in the region.

The Profile of the Lower Athabasca Region (2009) provides an overview of key social, economic and environmental factors in the region that need to be considered in developing a regional plan. The report outlines major land uses currently underway, highlights important trends and identifies additional or changing human activities that can be expected in the region.

The purpose of input sessions was to provide the public and stakeholders with information about the regional planning process and gather input on topics raised in the terms of reference for the region. The document (found on the LARP Consultation page) summarizes input gathered from this first phase of public and stakeholders consultations. It is used to inform the Regional Advisory Council.

The Lower Athabasca Regional Advisory Council’s Advice to the Government of Alberta Regarding a Vision for the Lower Athabasca Region (2010) describes the RAC’s advice to the Government of Alberta as a response to the Terms of Reference developed for the region. Its contents inform the second phase of public, stakeholder and aboriginal consultation and the development of the draft regional plan.

Three documents (found on the LARP Consultation page) summarize feedback gathered through the workbook and through public and stakeholder consultation sessions which focused on key areas for which the Government of Alberta sought the Regional Advisory Council’s advice. Feedback on these recommendations helps government develop a draft regional plan.

April 2011

The Draft Lower Athabasca Integrated Regional Plan (2011) provides a blueprint to manage economic development, support vibrant communities and maintain a healthy environment. It has two components: a strategic plan and an implementation plan. It is accompanied by Proposed Lower Athabasca Integrated Regional Plan Regulations (2011) which enables achieving the strategic direction, strategies and actions.

Feedback is gathered through a workbook and a series of open houses, workshops and meetings held with the public, stakeholders and municipalities. Three documents (found on the the LARP Consultation page) summarize feedback on the draft integrated regional plan (including the strategic plan and the implementation plan) as well as the proposed regulations.

This updated Draft Lower Athabasca Regional Plan advances a new approach for managing our lands and natural resources to achieve our province’s long-term environmental, economic and social goals. Feedback is used to produce the final plan.