Lands Envrironment Action Fund Toolkit
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Lands Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) Manitoba First Nations ENVIRONMENT ECONOMY EMPLOYMENT 2014 CREATING OPPORTUNITIES Creating Environmental Economic Opportunities 2014 Produced by: David Lane, DMCL Environmental Anupam Sharma, Director of Operations, DOTC Robert Daniels, CEO, DOTC This project would not have been possible without generous support and guidance from the Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council, the members of the DOTC Council of Chiefs, and key individuals in their respective communities (Birdtail Sioux First Nation, Dakota Tipi First Nation, Long Plain First Nation, Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation, Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation, Swan Lake First Nation, and Waywaysecappo First Nation). The information contained within this toolkit is collected from and considered to be part of the public domain. Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council offers this guide without any warranty of any kind, either express or implied. Nor does Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council assume any liability for any damages arising from the use of this product. Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council Head Office Long Plain Reserve #6, Band #287 Room 230, 2nd Floor 5010 Crescent Road West Portage la Prairie, MB Mailing Address: P.O. Box 338 Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 3B7 Website: www.dotc.mb.ca Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, through the Lands Environmental Action Fund (LEAF), provided funding for this project. March 2014 Lands Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) 2 Creating Environmental Economic Opportunities 2014 CONTENTS: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 4 Sustainability and Economic Benefits ............................................................................................................... 5 Community Involvement and Planning ............................................................................................................ 5 Key Goals and Priorities of this Toolkit ............................................................................................................ 6 Chapters and Organization .................................................................................................................................... 6 SMALL-SCALE PROJECTS ............................................................................................... 7 General Considerations ........................................................................................................................................... 7 Key Steps for Starting a Small Business ........................................................................................................... 8 Small-Scale Project Examples ............................................................................................................................ 20 Commercial Products and Services ................................................................................................................. 20 Community Gardens ............................................................................................................................................... 22 Food Security and Health .................................................................................................................................... 28 Housing Energy Efficiency, Plumbing, and Landscaping ....................................................................... 30 Non-Timber Forest Products .............................................................................................................................. 34 MEDIUM-SCALE PROJECTS ......................................................................................... 38 General Considerations ........................................................................................................................................ 38 Medium-Scale Project Examples ...................................................................................................................... 38 Farmers Markets ..................................................................................................................................................... 38 Country Foods Programs ..................................................................................................................................... 44 Sustainable Farming Practices .......................................................................................................................... 46 Sustainable Fisheries ............................................................................................................................................. 49 Sustainable Forestry .............................................................................................................................................. 53 Recycling and Waste Management ................................................................................................................. 56 LARGE-SCALE PROJECTS ............................................................................................. 61 General Considerations ........................................................................................................................................ 61 Key Steps in Developing Large-Scale Projects ........................................................................................... 61 Large Scale Project Examples ............................................................................................................................ 63 Geothermal Heating and Cooling ..................................................................................................................... 63 Wind Generation ...................................................................................................................................................... 68 Solar, Biomass, and Heat Transfer Technology ......................................................................................... 72 APPENDIX A – LINKS AND RESOURCES ....................................................................... 76 APPENDIX B – CASE STUDIES ...................................................................................... 93 Lands Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) 3 Creating Environmental Economic Opportunities 2014 INTRODUCTION This green economic development toolkit provides an easy-to-use resource for exploring realistic and practical environmental economic opportunities that are feasible and appropriate for your circumstances. Additionally, this guide will allow you to access relevant information for planning broader sustainable economic development initiatives in your community. This toolkit is designed to inspire dialogue between individuals, family members, community groups, economic development staff, leadership, managers, and board members of various community organizations. It can also be found online at: http://www.dotc.mb.ca/DOTC_News_Contact_Us.html. You will find a wealth of contacts, links, and resources to connect you to many of the useful tools that already exist. You will find very basic information for small projects, as well as some that is more complex. Generally, as projects increase in scale (small, medium, large) there is a corresponding increase in complexity. Sustainability means different things to different people, however, it typically requires: Healthy ecosystems Thriving economies Vibrant communities Sustainability also highlights the importance of understanding the interconnections between these factors (i.e. People + Planet + Or… Profit = Sustainability). Society Since building social capital is central, this Toolkit encourages whole household participation in planning for sustainability. Profit Together, we improve the chances of project success and facilitate the “Well dang, at least we’re still making money!” bonding of groups and networks required for increasing resilience. Figure 1: People + Planet + Profit = Sustainability Lands Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) 4 Creating Environmental Economic Opportunities 2014 Economic benefits arise through various forms within environmental initiatives. The underlying paradigm involves viewing the world as interconnected and interdependent systems, where the maintenance and support of one system is essential for the other system to thrive or even survive. Figure 2: The Earth - Economy System People (social systems) and economies (economic systems) are integrated components of a larger natural system. As such, planning and designing projects accordingly is essential, in order to maintain or achieve sustainability. By driving innovation in their communities, individuals and groups of people can strengthen families, create networks, improve morale, build capacity that be extended to the broader community, and even engage other neighboring communities. For those involved in community economic development planning or others who wish to pursue green policies and larger community-wide initiatives, tools for conducting community assessments, sustainable land-use planning, public involvement, and environmental management systems for businesses and communities can be found at the following websites: • Federation of Canadian Municipalities: http://www.fcm.ca/home/resources.htm • Canadian Community Economic Development Network: https://ccednet- rcdec.ca/en • AANDC: http://www.aadnc- aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100032790/1100100032794 Lands Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) 5 Creating Environmental Economic Opportunities 2014 The ultimate