A Lands Plan is a guide for future growth and development on our Reserve lands. It provides direction for what types of land uses are acceptable, where land uses should happen (for example: housing) and where they should not.

It is a tool for setting out a long-term vision for our lands to ensure we make good decisions, especially when others show interest in building on our land.

It is a plan that helps us understand land use issues and opportunities on Reserve from the viewpoint of our Members.

Reserve lands planning results in the development of a plan with:

· Goals and objectives for land use

· Policies/actions for how the objectives will be met

· Maps to identify existing and future land uses as well as other activities (i.e., sewer lines, oil wells, sensitive habitats, etc.).

A clear Lands Plan will help us make more informed, consistent decisions about how we use and protect our land in the future. Without an Lands Plan, it is difficult to enforce our wishes for our land on other government agencies and developers. With a plan we can clearly identify where it is appropriate to build and which areas we want to protect for future generations. The Plan becomes our governing document and can help us avoid unsuitable land uses side by side.

Funding has been secured from Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) that allows us to develop a land use plan for our Reserve lands. This project and funding are NOT part of INAC’s Land Management Regime.

We submitted a funding proposal to INAC on November 4, 2016 for a Lands Plan and the project was approved on December 28, 2016.

Without a Lands Plan, it is harder to make good decisions about how we use our land and what we allow others to do on our land.

For example, without a Lands Plan, someone could build a home in an area that floods. We can map our flood plains to make sure that we discourage the building of homes in these areas.

Without a Lands Plan, it is harder to lobby for our land use rights at a Regional or Provincial level. With a Plan, we can say that we have clear goals and policies relating to how we want to use our land and what we will not allow on our land.

Without a Lands Plan, Chief and Council decision-making may not be consistent. With written goals and policies about what is acceptable and unacceptable on Reserve Lands, better and more consistent decisions can be made.

Without a Lands Plan, we cannot give developers interested in building on our land clear direction as to where they can and cannot build. We may be missing good opportunities if we cannot be clear with potential developers. Also, by allowing developers to build anywhere on Reserve Lands we could be allowing land uses that are not compatible to happen side by side. (For example: a factory beside a school building)

A Comprehensive Community Plan is a higher level governing document that contains a section on land use. It also covers other topics such as health, culture, environment, governance and social development. The Lands Plan focuses specifically and in detail on reserve lands and resources.

Other topics within a CCP, in addition to land use, are health, culture, environment, governance, social development etc.

Everyone has a role to play in the stewardship of our land. Land use planning is important for deciding how CLFN’s land base will be used in the future. The plan will help us to better balance resource use with creating/sustaining a livelihood for our Members.

We want everyone in the community to be involved in creating a vision for the future of our lands. The Plan belongs to the people and your participation will mean the Plan will reflect your values and priorities for our Reserve Lands.