Plan highlights

83 per cent of the region is made up of Conservation Areas

We’ll manage these areas to:

conserve or protect ecological and cultural resources; and

maintain the wilderness characteristics in the long-term .

Conservation Areas

Do not allow:

new industrial land-use dispositions, such as mining; or

new surface access, such as a road.

Conservations Areas respect existing mineral claims and leases and are further characterized by 3 designations:

Special Management Areas

55 per cent of the region will be permanently withdrawn from mineral staking and the issuing new oil-and-gas rights. The region will have many protected areas, and each will have management plans.

Wilderness Areas

25 per cent of the region is withdrawn from mineral staking and the issuing new oil-and-gas rights for a limited time. This will be reviewed as part of a formal, longer-term public plan review done by a committee representing all parties.

Wilderness Areas – Boreal Caribou

3 per cent of the region is made up of Wilderness Areas with additional requirements for protection including management planning.

17 per cent of the region is made up of Integrated Management Areas

In these areas, a variety of land uses and new surface access are allowed, such as roads and mining. Different zones allow varying levels of development and surface disturbance. Proposed projects will need to go through the normal regulatory and assessment processes.

After new roads and trails are no longer needed, they must be reclaimed. Development thresholds will be set. Impacts will be monitored and limited as they accumulate.

The plan includes 42 recommendations

These include: