Approved Land Use Strategy > Introduction
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose of the Land Use Strategy
Ontario's Living Legacy Land Use Strategy is the result of an extensive planning process that was carried out from February, 1997 to May, 1999. The Strategy outlines the intended strategic direction for the management of 39 million hectares of Crown lands and waters in a planning area covering 45 percent of the province (see Map 1). In this report, Crown land includes:
The Strategy focuses on four specific objectives that were established at the beginning of the planning process:
The Strategy is a guidance document that sets a framework for future land and resource management on Crown lands in the planning area. It provides guidance and direction on what activities are proposed or preferred in certain areas and what activities will be permitted. This direction is primarily outlined through defining and locating land use categories that identify the general objectives, policies and uses for these areas. It also provides some general direction for resource management activities, as well as identifying a range of future planning and consultation needs.
Any new or revised plans for Crown lands will be consistent with the intent of the Strategy. It will replace the direction contained in a number of existing land use planning documents. Planning is a continuous process -- the strategies in the approved document will be subject to revision as a result of changes in government policy, new or refined resource information, and proposals for land use change resulting from other processes.
Sections 2 through 5 of the Strategy address the four objectives for the planning process. Following this, the Strategy presents additional direction for programs (Section 6), and policies for the land use categories (Section 7). Section 8 highlights nine parts of the planning area that demonstrate the range of approaches used in the Strategy, and Section 9 provides direction on implementation. A land use map and an appendix outlining the land use intent for individual land use areas are also included.
The Land Use Strategy supports the overall strategic directions of the Ministry of Natural Resource (MNR). The Ministry's vision for the province is to develop natural resources in a sustainable way to meet today's needs and to ensure these resources are available for future generations. It is through the sustainable development of natural resources that MNR contributes to the environmental, social, and economic well-being of the people of Ontario.
MNR is the lead conservation and resource management agency in the province. To achieve sustainable development, the Ministry's mission is to manage our natural resources on the basis of ecological sustainability by safeguarding nature's capacity to renew itself.
The Ministry has a diverse legislative mandate and broad client base. It is responsible for:
The Ministry's objectives, which provided direction for the development of the Strategy, are to ensure that:
In 1994 MNR finalized its Statement of Environmental Values under the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR). The SEV is a document that describes how the purposes of the EBR are to be considered whenever decisions that might significantly affect the environment are made in the Ministry. During the development of the Strategy, the Ministry has considered its Statement of Environmental Values.
1.3 Planning and Public Consultation Process
The Land Use Strategy is substantially based on the work of citizen Round Tables that were established in three planning regions, Boreal West, Boreal East and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence. This was as part of the Lands for Life planning process. The Lands for Life Round Tables, which were composed of 12 to14 citizens drawn from diverse backgrounds, met from June, 1997 to July, 1998.
The Lands for Life consultation process was the most ambitious public involvement initiative ever launched by MNR. The Round Tables carried out extensive public consultations within each planning region and in southern Ontario. In total, the three Round Tables heard from over 15,000 people during the process through a variety of means. These included regular Round Table meetings, public meetings, community workshops, questionnaires, written submissions, and e-mail. As part of the consultation process, extensive information was made available to the public through publications, open houses, and an Internet site.
In July, 1998 the Round Tables' draft recommendations were submitted to the Minister of Natural Resources. A subsequent report prepared by the Round Table chairs, with the assistance of a consultant and MNR staff, combined the recommendations from the three Round Tables in a consistent format. This Consolidated Recommendations report was circulated for public comment in late 1998, and over 14,000 submissions were received.
The provincial government also held discussions with representatives of various sectors on possible strategies for enhancing the recommendations of the Round Tables to better achieve the four objectives set out at the beginning of the Lands for Life planning process. As a result of discussions with representatives of the forest industry, the Partnership for Public Lands (a coalition of environmental groups) and MNR, the "1999 Ontario Forest Accord - A Foundation for Progress" was prepared. The accord reflects the parties' agreement on the recommended protected areas, and the means to develop mutually-acceptable suggested candidate protected areas for consideration in a broad public consultation process. The accord also addresses many current and future needs of the forest industry.
Following the Premier's announcement of Ontario's Living Legacy in March 1999, the Proposed Land Use Strategy was circulated for public comment, and over 8,200 submissions were received. A considerable number of revisions were made in the Land Use Strategy as a result of the comments, primarily to clarify topics and to refine selected boundaries.
At four major stages in the planning process a notice was placed on the Environmental Bill of Rights electronic registry to formally identify that there were opportunities for input. A decision record was also posted on the Registry that summarized how public input was considered in the planning.
The land use intent presented in the Strategy is the result of careful consideration of the Round Table recommendations, public comment, representations by interest groups and industries, and government analysis.
The Round Table discussions and subsequent recommendations addressed much more than land use planning. The Round Table recommendations also dealt with topics such as resource management practices, dispute resolution, public consultation, and financial priorities. The Land Use Strategy presents the government response to many of the recommendations related to the four planning objectives. A separate report, Ontario Government Response to the Consolidated Recommendations of the Boreal West, Boreal East and Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Round Tables, was released in March 1999 summarizing how the government will deal with all of the 242 recommendations of the Consolidated Recommendations report.
During the planning process, the government received numerous requests for the establishment of public forums to help to resolve land use and resource management issues. As a result, the government will be supporting the use of such forums to bring together various participants such as First Nations, the forest industry, environmental groups, the mining industry, and anglers and hunters to address land use and resource management issues. These forums will be encouraged to develop solutions to issues that arise between the participating sectors and to submit their recommendations to the Ministry for consideration.
1.4 Consulting with Aboriginal Peoples
Many Aboriginal peoples have existing Aboriginal or treaty rights which are protected under the Constitution of Canada. The Ontario government will consult with these Aboriginal peoples concerning decisions that may affect the use of Crown lands and resources that are subject to Aboriginal or treaty rights.
This Land Use Strategy places Crown lands in a range of Land Use Designations (LUDs) and Enhanced Management Areas (EMAs). Although these designations and areas do not themselves affect Aboriginal or treaty rights, some Aboriginal activities which are carried out under such rights on some lands may be affected by new land use policies. Most of the Crown lands in the planning area remain under a general use designation and are not significantly affected by the new land use policies.
Consultation with Aboriginal peoples was an important part of the work of the Lands for Life Round Tables. Continuing consultation with Aboriginal peoples who have existing Aboriginal or treaty rights in the planning area is an integral part of the Strategy. Ontario intends to, as part of the Strategy:
The Lands for Life Round Tables made a variety of recommendations that were related to Aboriginal peoples. The Ontario government has outlined its position with respect to all Round Table recommendations in the report Ontario Government Response to the Consolidated Recommendations. The Land Use Strategy should be read in conjunction with the Government Response report, since it addresses many related topics of concern to Aboriginal peoples that are beyond the scope of the Strategy.
Next: Completing Ontario's System of Parks and Protected Areas
Modified: January 31, 2007
1.2 Context for Planning