Dear Planning Partners,
While the Zone 41- Nááts'ı̨hch’oh Amendments to the Sahtú Land Use Plan received its final approval from the Government of Canada on June 4, 2024, there have been delays in follow-up agreements with the Approving Parties (SSI, GNWT, Canada) regarding minor adjustments. Close work with Approving Parties is required as the Nááts'ı̨hch’oh Amendment package is based on the 2013 Sahtú Land Use Plan, and not the current 2023 Sahtú Land Use Plan.
The Sahtú Land Use Planning Board worked with staff of Approving Parties through the summer of 2024 on incorporating the Nááts'ı̨hch’oh Amendments and required adjustments into the Sahtú Land Use Plan. While Approving Parties had previously agreed to Director level approvals of the required adjustments (mostly related to area calculations) so that the Nááts'ı̨hch’oh Amendment package fits with the 2023 Sahtú Land Use Plan, Approving Parties then chose to pursue Ministerial Level approvals. This extends the timeline for the release of the updated Sahtú Land Use Plan, and is outside the control of the Sahtú Land Use Planning Board.
Current Status and Background
As the Nááts'ı̨hch’oh Amendments, which followed the declaration of the Nááts'ı̨hch’oh National Park Reserve, have been a long-standing action item for the Sahtú Land Use Planning Board, this matter is being treated with the utmost priority. While it was hoped that an updated Sahtú Land Use Plan would have already been released to the public, we now need to wait for Approving Parties to approve the required adjustments.
To give some background, the creation of the Nááts'ı̨hch’oh National Park Reserve was initiated by Canada in December 2014, following consultation with local Sahtú Dene and Métis organizations and the public. Both the Sahtú Secretariat Incorporated and the Government of the Northwest Territories had approved the amendment in 2019. In the meantime, the Sahtú Land Use Planning Board continued working on other items, including its 5-Year Review and updated land use plan, which were approved and released in 2023.
What Does This Mean and Next Steps
The updated Sahtú Land Use Plan that reflects the Nááts'ı̨hch’oh Amendment package will be released to the public in 2025, following approvals of required adjustment by Approving Parties. While there are delays in receiving the approvals of required adjustment by Approving Parties to fit the Nááts’ı̨hch’oh Amendments into the current Sahtú Land Use Plan, the overall Nááts’ı̨hch’oh Amendments have been in effect since June 4, 2024. The required adjustments being reviewed do not have an effect on the overall intent and application of the Plan.
Proponents seeking authorizations and/or dispositions for land use activities in the area outside of the Nááts’ı̨hch’oh National Park Reserve of Canada should consult additional materials on the Sahtú Land Use Planning Board’s website. The webmap on the main-page of the Sahtú Land Use Planning Board's website, updated in June 2024, reflects the current zoning (https://sahtulanduseplan.org/), as well as the Sahtú Land Use Plan’s Implementation Guide (https://sahtulanduseplan.org/document/642). It is worth reminding Planning Partners that a new and additional Conformity Requirement does exist as of June 4th, 2024, for Zone 41 – South Nahanni Watershed Special Management Zone.
Conformity Requirement #20 reads as follows:
All applications for land use proposed in SMZ Zone 41- South Nahanni Watershed must demonstrate:
a) How impacts to mountain woodland caribou, grizzly bears, Dall’s sheep, moose, and mountain goats, their habitat and migration patterns, and important community harvesting areas will be avoided or mitigated.
b) How audio or visual impacts on users of the Little Nahanni River will be avoided or mitigated;
c) That the activity does not substantially alter quality, quantity, or rate of flow for waters within the South Nahanni Watershed.
Once the approvals are received for the required adjustments, as explained above, the Sahtú Land Use Plan update will be released to the public, including the above-noted Conformity Requirement #20.
The Sahtú Land Use Planning Board encourages questions from Planning Partners. Questions can be directed to the Sahtú Land Use Planning Board's Executive Director, Justin Stoyko at 867-768-2055 ext. 1 or exec_director@sahtulanduseplan.org.
Máhsı.