Province’s land-use secretariat will review plans for South Saskatchewan River
By Medicine Hat News on August 23, 2024.
@MedicineHatNews The Alberta Land-use Secretariat will launch a scheduled review of the South Saskatchewan Regional plan in September, the agency announced on Thursday. The plan, which lays down rules and provides planning guidance in areas of the South Saskatchewan River Basin, was adopted in 2014 and needs to be updated every 10 years. The area includes about 44 per cent of the province’s population, including areas south of the Red Deer River along the watersheds of the South Saskatchewan, Bow and Oldman rivers. A short online survey will open in September before First Nations, municipalities and other stakeholders are engaged, according to a brief release. “This review is an important part of keeping the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan effective for years to come,” stated Alberta Environment and Protected Spaces Minister Rebecca Schulz. “Albertans living and working in the region know this area best, and we look forward to hearing their input.” The 2014 plan created some new conservation areas and created planning priority principles that municipalities must follow when considering land-use changes, such as avoiding the fragmentation of agricultural land. The plan was evaluated at the five-year mark in a report released in 2020. That called for better monitoring of implementation and outcomes. The plan’s eight stated goals are to grow the economy, diversify the economy, protect environmental needs, protect human needs, use land in a most efficient manner, increase recreation, improve consultation with Indigenous communities and accommodate community needs. 10-9
