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DRAFT Bistcho Lake Sub-Regional Plan

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DRAFT Bistcho Lake Sub-Regional Plan DRAFT Bistcho Lake Sub-regional Plan Classification: Public Environment and Parks, Government of Alberta March 2021 Draft Bistcho Lake Sub-regional Plan ii Bistcho Lake | DRAFT Sub-regional Plan Classification: Public Table of Contents Part I: Introduction......................................................................................................................... vi Purpose ....................................................................................................................................... vii Strategic Management Outcomes .............................................................................................. vii Part II: Legislative and Policy Context for Sub-Regional Planning ......................................... vii Part III: A Balanced Approach .................................................................................................... viii Integrated Land Management .................................................................................................... viii Ecosystem-based Management .................................................................................................. ix Adaptive Management ................................................................................................................. ix Boreal Woodland Caribou Recovery............................................................................................ ix Managing Multi-species ................................................................................................................ x Part IV: The Sub-Regional Planning Area ................................................................................... xi Vision Statement ........................................................................................................................ xiii Part V: Bistcho Lake Sub-Regional Plan ...................................................................................... 1 1.0 Indigenous Land Uses ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Indigenous led initiatives.............................................................................................. 1 1.2 Long-term opportunities for traditional land-use and wildlife habitat ........................... 2 1.3 Indigenous participation in land-use planning ............................................................. 3 1.4 Approaches for Inclusion of Indigenous Perspectives and Values in the Bistcho Lake Sub-Region............................................................................................................................... 4 2.0 Bistcho Lake Sub-Regional Access Management Plan ........................................................ 4 2.1 Technical Design of the Access Management Plan .................................................... 6 2.2 Development of New Access ..................................................................................... 11 2.3 Watercourse Crossings ............................................................................................. 14 3.0 Energy and Mineral Activity ................................................................................................. 14 3.1 Sales of New Crown Mineral Agreements ................................................................. 14 Bistcho Lake | DRAFT Sub-regional Plan iii Classification: Public 3.2 Petroleum and Natural Gas ....................................................................................... 15 3.3 Metallic and Industrial Minerals ................................................................................. 16 4.0 Pipeline Development and Maintenance ............................................................................. 16 4.1 Pipeline Construction and Operations ....................................................................... 17 4.2 Pipeline Access Allowances ...................................................................................... 18 5.0 Geophysical Exploration ...................................................................................................... 19 5.1 Requirements for Geophysical Activity within the Bistcho Lake Sub-Region ............ 19 6.0 Forestry ................................................................................................................................ 20 6.1 Forest Harvesting Requirements ............................................................................... 22 7.0 Surface Material Extraction (Sand, Gravel, Borrow) ............................................................ 25 7.1 Requirements for Surface Material Extraction (Sand, Gravel and borrow) activity within the Bistcho Lake Sub-Region ...................................................................................... 26 8.0 Peat ...................................................................................................................................... 28 8.1 Requirements for Peat Extraction within the Bistcho Lake Sub-Region ................... 28 9.0 Transmission Lines .............................................................................................................. 30 9.1 Requirements for Transmission Line Activities within the Bistcho Lake Sub-Region 30 10.0 Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Activities ....................................................................... 31 10.1 Recreation and Tourism Requirements within the Bistcho Lake Sub-Region ........... 32 11.0 Natural Disturbance ........................................................................................................... 33 11.1 Wildfire ....................................................................................................................... 33 11.2 Insects and pathogens (not including Pine Beetle) ................................................... 33 11.3 Mountain Pine Beetle ................................................................................................. 34 12.0 Restoration of Legacy Seismic Lines ................................................................................. 34 13.0 Wildlife ................................................................................................................................ 35 14.0 Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting ................................................................................ 36 14.1 Performance Indicators.............................................................................................. 36 15.0 Plan Review ....................................................................................................................... 39 16.0 Glossary ............................................................................................................................. 40 iv Bistcho Lake | DRAFT Sub-regional Plan Classification: Public Bistcho Lake | DRAFT Sub-regional Plan v Classification: Public Part I: Introduction The Government of Alberta (GoA) is committed to maintaining jobs, building local economies, and supporting strong communities, while ensuring the conservation and wise management of our public lands. An important part of government’s approach to managing public lands is the involvement of local Albertans – those who live, work and recreate on the landscape. This was key to informing the draft Bistcho Lake Sub-Regional plan, and will be important as engagement on the plan is completed. As part of its commitment to achieving and maintaining naturally self-sustaining woodland caribou populations in 2019, the GoA established the Northwest Caribou Sub-Regional Task Force (Task Force) to develop recommendations that would inform the development of this sub-regional plan. Government initiated a sub-regional approach to caribou recovery because it ensures we consider and balance a broader range of interests and activities. The Task Force included representatives familiar with the Bistcho Lake sub-region, from local municipalities, Indigenous peoples and organizations, the energy and forestry sectors, trappers, recreational users, environmental non-government organizations, and other local stakeholders and knowledge holders. The Task Force recommendations were important to the development of management approaches that support naturally functioning ecosystems, including a wide range of species. In line with Task Force recommendations, and commitments under the Alberta-Canada Section 11 Conservation Agreement for Boreal Caribou under the Species at Risk Act, the plan includes a focus on the conservation and recovery of boreal woodland caribou habitat and populations. Alberta’s land and resources support our economy, vibrant communities, and many subsistence, recreational and cultural opportunities, including Indigenous1 traditional land use and culture, and activities associated with the exercise of First Nations’ Treaty rights, as well as harvesting by recognized Métis harvesters. This sub-regional plan is meant to build on Alberta’s environmental leadership by providing clear guidance and direction to regulators, and enable a working landscape that supports economic opportunities now, and into the future. While this plan provides clarity for the regulatory system to enable efficient transparent decisions, it also demonstrates Alberta’s commitment to develop our resources while also supporting other land-uses and the variety of wildlife and ecosystems across the sub-region. The holistic approach to land and resource management will support healthy, resilient
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