Metlakatla is actively involved in land use planning initiatives that impact our traditional territory and resources.
In 2004, we produced the first draft of a Strategic Land and Resource Use Plan for Metlakatla Territory. Metlakatla participated with stakeholders to develop the North Coast Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) signed in 2006, and negotiated and signed the Strategic Land Use Planning Agreement (SLUPA) with the Province of British Columbia.
In 2009, under the "New Relationship" initiative, Metlakatla also worked with the Coastal First Nations to develop a Land and Resource Protocol Agreement (LRPA) which provides for a collaborative, government to government implementation of land use planning agreements across the Central and North Coast of BC.
As a result of our agreements, we are committed to working collaboratively with the Province to reconcile our respective stewardship and land use interests through an Ecosystem Based Management (EBM) approach. EBM is defined as: “an adaptive, systematic approach to managing human activities… that seeks to ensure the co-existence of healthy, fully functioning ecosystems and human communities”.
Our land use accomplishments to date include:
- the establishment of 28 Conservancies in Metlakatla territory
- incorporation of traditional knowledge in land use planning
- identification of sustainable economic development opportunities
- strengthening our working relationship with provincial representatives
We continue to work to implement commitments made in our land use planning documents through strategic agreements with the provincial government, development of protected area and conservancy management plans, and internal stewardship and environmental assessment policy formulation.
We also continue to work to improve the way we manage and engage in the review and approval of natural resource Development Applications and Proposals to ensure Metlakatla values are recognized.
Finally, we continue to negotiate natural resource management strategies at our Treaty table.