Author: T.O. Whenham
Western Canada’s natural and agricultural land is under intense pressure. As the population grows and the economies of the region mature and diversify, industrial and natural resource users are swallowing untouched land and changing the use of working landscapes such as farms and ranches. Our hunger for new areas to live in and new roads to drive on, and the world’s hunger for oil, gas, minerals, lumber and other bounty, consumes land, and often leaves it damaged or unrecognizable. Much of that is inevitable, but it needs to be carefully planned and managed so that the impact on our lives and those of future generations is minimized.
The industrial and natural resource land stewardship issues faced by western Canadians are not unique. Governments around the world are wrestling with the same issues, and employing a wide range of public policy options to address and contain the problems. Some of these have worked and some have not. Furthermore, no single solution can be viewed as a miracle cure for the woes a region faces, but when properly applied to an appropriate region and industry, each approach has the potential to mitigate the impact our industrial lifestyle is having on our land.
This report takes a look at six different public policy approaches. Four of the cases are located in the United States, one is under development in Australia, and one is effectively accomplishing its goals in Alberta. They vary great in scope, ambition, and history, but each has something valuable to be learned for the western Canadian context. The underlying philosophies differ, but the six case studies share at least four common traits. Each successful approach features a high degree of government involvement. Each requires the selfless cooperation of multiple levels of government. Each was carefully planned before initial execution to anticipate and avoid potentially damning problems. Finally, all of the programs have a clearly defined goal and limited ambition. None seek to solve a region’s land stewardship struggles in one effort, and that means that they are manageable and can achieve results that can be observed and communicated.
From the examination of the case studies a blueprint for future land stewardship efforts in western Canada emerges. To ensure a solid chance of success, any future land stewardship initiative should, at the very least, consider these recommendations to see if they are appropriate and sufficiently addressed:
Recognize and use reputation as an incentive
Tightly define goals
Embrace multiple approaches
Replace function, not area
Combine resources to maximize impact
Establish independent oversight
Given the overwhelming statistics chronicling the rapid demise of our natural land in western Canada, it would be easy to become depressed and hopeless. There are countless pressures on the land, innumerable interests that must be considered, and limited time to act before it’s too late. Hopefully, though, this report helps to lift that depression and provide a sense of optimism. There are brilliant, energetic people around the world engaged in land stewardship efforts. The public policy options available are fueled by their creativity, passion and foresight. Better land stewardship in western Canada won’t be an easy battle, but it is certainly a battle worth fighting, and the weapons exist to score a victory.