An Integrated and comprehensive Sustainable Development Plan for the RM of Wood Buffalo

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo will develop an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP) for the 11 communities in the region to effectively plan and manage municipal assets and resources, deliver services, address priorities and create an integrated framework for land use.The project team will review background materials and establish objectives and principles for the ICSP. The team will then research and analyze community issues and assets, engage the communities in visioning and action planning and establish priorities for each community. The team will conduct baseline audits for proposed environmental benefits against which future improvements will be measured. The team will also establish regional sustainability principles and develop community growth scenarios, goals and policies for each community. The resulting ICSP will include an action plan, monitoring indicators and a framework for regional policy development.The ICSP will likely lead to a 30 per cent reduction in environmental impact across the regions. As well, strategic land use planning decisions and demand management could delay or eliminate the need for some infrastructure expansion and development. The results of this planning process would be instructive to other regions of Canada facing rapid development, particularly resource communities in northern Canada.