Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Hay River (Sep 08/03) - Did you know that...

There are 308 species of wildlife in the Deh Cho territory?

Or that 419 oil and gas wells have been drilled in the Deh Cho?

Or that Hay River has 53 per cent of the region's population?

If not, you haven't attended one of the ongoing information sessions by the Deh Cho Land Use Planning Committee.

Despite the importance of the committee's work, there has not been great attendance at the meetings. In Hay River on Sept. 3, only five people -- three if you don't count reporters -- showed up at a public session.

Heidi Wiebe, the committee's executive director, says the meetings usually attract 10 people or less, although she says there has been good input from those who do show up.

"I'd love to see more people," says Wiebe. "We're still just spreading the word and raising awareness of what we're doing."

She describes the meetings as information sharing, explaining more in-depth consultations on the land use option phase will occur in February.

The land use planning committee was established in 2002 to gather information under the Deh Cho First Nations Interim Measures Agreement. The information will be used at the negotiations table for the overall Deh Cho Process.

The committee hopes to have its work completed by early 2005, while the overall target for the Deh Cho Process is 2008.

"We are approaching the end of the information collecting phase," says Wiebe, explaining the committee has to soon get into the analysis phase to meet its 2005 target.

She explains that the committee will develop five maps for potential land use -- ranging from pro-development to pro-conservation. Those maps will show the impacts that various decisions will have.

However, she stressed the committee itself does not make land use planning decisions. Any plan would have to be approved by the DCFN and the federal and territorial governments -- which are all represented on the committee.

"We want people to understand what we're doing and how we relate to the Deh Cho Process and how they can get involved, and how important it is for them to get involved," Wiebe says.

Aside from public sessions, the committee has been holding meetings with groups such as First Nations, municipal councils and various industry sectors.