The Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas is gathering feedback to help inform the completion of the Upper Smoky Sub-Regional Plan.
On March 27, Environment and Protected Areas (EPA) began a public engagement on the draft version of the Upper Smoky Sub-Regional Plan, which includes work to restore caribou habitat and identifies conservation areas and potential direction for forestry, grazing, recreation, energy development, tourism and other activities. The online survey associated with the public engagement closes on June 25, 2025.
EPA will be meeting with interested sectors within the Upper Smoky Sub-Regional Plan area, and will notify holders of statutory consents expressly identified by the proposed regulatory details within the draft to provide the opportunity to propose alternate means to achieve the plan’s policy outcomes.
As part of the engagement, there will be public virtual information sessions on April 16 and May 6, as well as two public, in-person open houses:
- April 23, 2025 in Grande Prairie from 3:00 to 7:00pm
- Teresa Sargent Hall, Montrose Cultural Centre
- April 30, 2025 in Grande Cache from 3:00 to 7:00pm
- Multiple Purpose Room #4, Grande Cache Recreation Centre
Planning and development are core municipal functions. Municipalities are mandated as the agent of land-use planning by the Municipal Government Act, and each municipality has a fundamental interest in land-use planning within their own and neighbouring communities. While the draft Upper Smoky Sub-Regional Plan only affects a few of RMA’s members, other municipalities’ feedback on the draft Upper Smoky plan and engagement is a valuable asset to EPA for their future work on regional and sub-regional plans across the province.
In addition to the public engagement process put on by EPA, members may reach out to RMA staff for more information or to provide specific feedback on the draft plan or the engagement process.
Joseph Kay
Policy Advisor
780.554.4161
joseph@RMAlberta.com
Wyatt Skovron
General Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@RMAlberta.com