On May 21, 2008, Alberta government Minister of Sustainable Resources Development, Ted Morton, released his long-awaited Draft Land-use Framework for Alberta. In my July column for the Alberta Outdoorsmen, I discussed the draft framework and how it has a long way to go before it makes any headway in actually providing guidelines for the development and conservation of Alberta’s landscapes. So many differing and conflicting interests have to come together to reach consensus that it will be remarkable if the six regional plans actually make their deadline of 2012. However, until those plans are made and implemented, it will be business as usual on the land–making it increasingly difficult for the overall plan to reach its goals.
One of the issues that will have to be understood by the framers is ‘cumulative effects’–the combined effects of all developments, past, present and future, on the landscape. As well, the plan must look at the continuing effects of human population growth and demand on resources.
So, what’s wrong with that?
Tags: Alberta, cumulative effects, Draft Land-use Framework, land-use, land-use plan, population growth, resource demand, Ted Morton
