Fort Simpson (Aug 29/03) - They come armed with a plethora of maps and oodles of data on resources, industry and wildlife.

But representatives from the Land Use Planning Committee make no claims to knowing it all. In fact, Heidi Wiebe, the committee's executive director, readily acknowledged information gaps that have yet to be filled. For instance, maps depicting caribou habitat and fish spawning areas are incomplete, she noted.

To get more answers, the committee plans to bring together hunters and trappers, elders and biologists in the fall to review maps species by species. That should help pinpoint more critical areas such as calving grounds and spawning grounds.

Using this information and feedback from local residents, the committee

-- working jointly with the Deh Cho First Nations, GNWT and federal government -- can better define conservation and development zones. Conservation zones would also encompass traditional use areas, scenic places, protected areas and sensitive watershed areas.

Development zones would have high potential for oil and gas, minerals, timber and tourism.

The key will be finding a balance between the two. Placing specific terms and conditions on industry can be useful, said Wiebe.

"There's lots of ways you can have your cake and eat it too, so to speak," she said.

Fort Simpson, which Wiebe and land use planner trainee Priscilla Canadien visited on Aug. 21, was the fourth stop among 10 communities. Up to that point, Wiebe said common concerns centred around who will issue development permits when the land-use plan is complete. She said that is still subject to negotiations through the Deh Cho Process.

Another issue that has arisen frequently is the confidentiality of traditional knowledge. Each community has compiled or is compiling information pertaining to aboriginal use of the land and wildlife habitat. That information is of paramount interest to resource companies striving to explore and develop Deh Cho lands.

Communities have been known to sell traditional knowledge studies to industry. If land-use planners were to give out the information for free the communities would loose that source of extra revenue.

"It's a big issue. It (traditional knowledge) is the foundation of what we're doing," said Wiebe. "But we have to be very careful. We can't distribute it."

Although the Land Use Planning Committee doesn't have jurisdiction over municipalities and Nahanni National Park Reserve, it will also be consulting with municipal and Parks representatives in the fall, Wiebe noted.