Land use planning in Gitga’at Territory is complicated by the fact that Federal and Provincial administrative and planning boundaries do not recognize First Nation’s territorial boundaries. Gitga’at Territory overlaps 3 provincial land and resource management planning jurisdictions, the Kalum, North Coast and Central Coast LRMP planning areas.

To engage effectively with the Province and other parties on land use, the Gitga’at began working in 2001 to develop and implement their own land use plan for Gitga’at Territory. A draft Gitga’at land use plan was published in 2003 (download here). This strategic planning document outlines the Gitga’at First Nation’s vision for use of lands and resources in Gitga’at Territory. It identifies where and how different land and resources uses can occur and provides a framework for achieving core sustainability goals and land and resource objectives.

In 2002 Gitga’at representatives began engaging in the Provincial North and Central Coast land use planning processes. Those processes, which ended in 2004, involved other coastal First Nations including Kitkaktla, Metlakatla, Haisla, Kitasoo, Heiltsuk and others, along with forestry,tourism, mining, conservation, recreation and local community representatives. Copies of the NCLRMP and CCLRMP recommendations can be downloaded here and here.

In 2005, Gitga’at began negotiating with the Province to resolve differences between the Gitga’at Land Use Plan and the North/Central Coast land use plans – the goal being to reach agreement on a final land use plan for Gitga’at Territory.

A land use lanning agreement was reached with the Province in late 2006 which establishes:

• New decision making arrangements with the Province that provide Gitga’at with a greater role in resource management
• New protected conservancies and stewardship areas that act to protect important lands and conserve key resources
• New for conserving managing resources sustainably called ecosystem-based management.
• Access to economic development opportunities and conservation financing to support Gitga’at conservation activities and community economic development projects.

A copy of the The Gitga’at- BC Strategic Land Use Planning Agreements can be downloaded here along with the related Land & Resource Protocol.

Map: Gitga’at Strategic Land Use Plan Map.