The Yukon government failed to sufficiently take public and First Nation interests into account during the land use planning process for the Peel, a group of researchers has found.
“This failure has left planning process participants with the perception that they have been denied both respect and the ability to have their voices heard within land use planning for the region,” wrote the authors of a paper to be published in the upcoming edition of Northern Review, a peer-reviewed academic journal produced by Yukon College.
“In short, this process did not involve active, open debate - a crucial part of how decisions should be made in a democratic natural resource management context.”
The authors recommended that clear ground rules be established for making decisions within the land use process, and for dealing with disagreement between affected parties.
The paper suggested that an external body would be useful to deal with come of the conflicts that arise during the implementation phase.
The Peel Watershed Planning Commission filled this role during earlier phases, but that group disbanded after delivery of its final recommended plan.
The researchers recommended reviving the commission to oversee the implementation of the plan, or equipping the Yukon Land Use Planning Council to fill a similar role.