The East Kootenay
Land Use Plan
Over a two-year period, the people
of the East Kootenay region of British Columbia worked together
to prepare a land-use plan for their region. The goal was to put
an end to land-use uncertainty and ensure stability and security
for communities and families, and provide a sustainable environment.
The progress they made was substantial - they achieved general agreement
on many land-use areas, and consensus on a jobs and economic strategy,
as well as on ways to ensure continuing public involvement in the
implementation of the land-use plan.
The land-use plan delivered by the
government of British Columbia in March 1995, the East Kootenay
Land Use Plan, builds on the work in the Kootenays and other areas
of British Columbia. It is intended to help provide the stability
needed to ensure a more sustainable economy and environment for
the region. The provincial land use plan clearly defines the land
available for resource development, as well as the region's important
wilderness areas that will be protected for the enjoyment of future
generations. It also includes an economic strategy and identifies
the East Kootenay as a priority for the government's Forest Renewal
Plan as the region is facing a critical point in its history - forest
industry over-capacity and the prospect of fewer forestry jobs as
the annual allowable cut is gradually reduced to a sustainable level.
