Applying land use planning best practices to limit cumulative effects and conserve environmentally significant areas and corridors protects Alberta's landscapes and ecosystems.
There is now a broad consensus among Albertans that the current system of land-use planning is broken. An independent survey of over 3,000 Albertans identified their top three concerns were:
In this same survey, 95% of respondents said the government must establish new approaches to land use; 80% said they would be willing to set limits for growth and resource development.
The Province’s Land Use Framework, released in December 2008, provides a venue to apply a new method of thinking to how land is used in Alberta. The land use framework divides the Province into 7 regions. Land use plans will be developed for each region. Planning for the Lower Athabasca Region and the South Saskatchewan Region is currently underway
| TRIAD | The TRIAD is an internationally accepted approach to land use planning that enables sustainable development of resources by dividing the landscape into three zones: intensive, extensive and protected. |
| Cumulative effects | Cumulative effects management considers the combined impact of development on the landscape over time. Effects are evaluated using science based indicators and thresholds linked with on-going monitoring. |
| Access management | Minimizing habitat fragmentation by reducing the amount of land used for or in close proximity to access roads, seismic lines, and other industrial infrastructure. |
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