Water Alberta's main priority; Short window allowed for public input into new provincial land use regulations

Bill Haufman, May 22, 2008, Edmonton Sun -- Calgary's water supply and wilderness west of the city will be among the crucial assets preserved by a new land use framework unveiled yesterday by the province, said Sustainable Resources Minister Ted Morton.

The sustainability blueprint -- which keys on the province's main watersheds, such as the South Saskatchewan which includes the Bow River -- will place a high priority on water sources and recreational areas west of Calgary, which is feeling the pressure of rural development, said the minister.

"It should deal with the regional waste-water issue so we don't have to worry about the quality of the water 10-20 years down the road," said Morton, adding the blueprint should also put the brakes on Calgary's urban sprawl.

And while he said the long-awaited framework would eventually have a bearing on off-road vehicle use that's raised environmental havoc west of Calgary, its completion four years from now means action will be taken to address that issue sooner.

"There'll be the creation of more campgrounds and off-road trails," said Morton.

With more integrated regional planning, he added, public transit could connect Calgary with its satellite towns and cities in 10-15 years.

"These municipal decision-makers want provincial leadership," he said. "The regional public transit system is currently frustrated by competing municipal districts."

Development and land management in six separate regions will be determined by the cumulative impacts on the environment, states the province. Though the blueprint is a product of 18 months of open consultation, the public will have only about six weeks to offer input on how the framework will be implemented and legislation will move ahead next year.

Morton said additional protected areas around the oilsands might slow down industrial production there, "but it'll be different from what the Liberals and NDP want."

The plan is a welcome departure from chaotic growth at the expense of the land, air and water, said Liberal Environment critic Dr. David Swann.

"I'm encouraged by the watershed approaches since the watershed is the key priority," said Swann.

But he wondered if the province will stick to its guns after two earlier attempts at a land use framework in the past 15 years failed.

And Swann said he fears a development rush to exploit the time window before the blueprint takes effect.