Land Use Planning (LUP):

Resources and Support

Land Use Planning (LUP) is a community-driven process that informs good governance and decision-making on First Nation Reserve Lands. It is about managing how the land is used now and deciding how it should be used in the future.

Effective planning produces tangible outcomes that guide and support healthy, sustainable community development. Using technical studies and community guidance, planning supports First Nations Lands Staff and Committee Members to determine whether land should be developed, protected, or remain as is. The goal is to ensure that land is utilized and protected in the best possible way, taking into account political, social, cultural, environmental, and economic factors.

Land Use Plans: ​

  • Provide a shared vision and path for the future ​
  • Proactively manage growth and support environmental stewardship ​
  • Assist in improving communities (i.e., quality of life) ​
  • Consider how development and the natural environment interact
RC Land Use Planning Course Library

Land Use Planning Process

There are a number of steps that your First Nation will take as you prepare and develop your Land Use Plan (LUP). Generally, a planning process has 7-8 phases. It is important to note that Land Use Planning is not a linear process. Your Plan is a living document that is intended to continue to adapt and grow as your First Nation realizes outcomes and identifies future actions that require direction.

Land Use Planning Phases:

  1. Preplanning
  2. Launching your Land Use Plan process
  3. Early engagement and developing a plan framework
  4. Drafting your LUP
  5. Engagement on the draft and edits, incorporating what you hear.
  6. Finalize your LUP
  7. Ratification / putting your LUP in place
  8. Implementation, monitoring and evaluation

Why develop a Land Use Plan (LUP)?

A LUP is a key tool for good governance over lands.  First Nations develop a LUP for many reasons, including:

  • To support development and negotiations on Servicing Agreements with other jurisdictions,
  • To establish successful economic development strategies,
  • To mitigate ad hoc development,
  • To identify and plan for lands within the Additions to Reserves process,
  • To ensure the best use of available lands, including Treaty Land Entitlement lands,
  • To prevent incompatible land uses,
  • To protect cultural resources and traditional sites, and
  • To enable financial impact analyses on different land use or development options.

A LUP can provide the basis for, or consider and work with other plans such as Economic Development Plans, Infrastructure Plans and Environmental Management Plans. Even if your First Nation already has some or many of these plans or policies in place, a LUP can help align decisions and decision-making processes to ensure all First Nation land governance tools can work together effectively.

Land Use Plan Implementation

A LUP is only effective if it can be implemented. Including an Implementation Plan as part of the LUP will help clearly identify actions, activities, and tools required to bring the LUP to life.​The implementation section of a LUP should include: ​

  1. A commitment to implement the LUP​
  2. An outline of: ​
    – What needs to be done
    – When those actions will occur and in what sequence
    – Who is responsible for the actions (e.g., Chief and Council, staff, committees, members, others)

Implementation will look different for each First Nation, but it will always align with what is in the LUP. While it can be undertaken in a variety of ways, implementation activities will generally fall under two broad categories:

  1.  What you can see on the Land: protection of the landscape or changes to the landscape. For example: treelots and forested areas maintained, construction of new housing subdivisions, clearing for a trail system, expansion of water distribution and wastewater collection systems, etc.
  2. How you manage the Land: Administrative tools and processes to guide land development, protection and decision-making. For example, site-specific development plans, infrastructure needs analysis, land development review processes, zoning laws, and environmental assessment laws. etc.

Resource Centre (RC) Land Use Planning Assistance

The RC has certified Professional Planners on staff to assist Signatory First Nations with Land Use Planning. Examples of support include:

  • Funding Land Use Plans and their implementation (link here to LUP Funding page)
  • Reviewing and commenting on draft planning documents such as Land Use Plans and Zoning Laws
  • Interpreting local plans, policies, and laws
  • Assisting with community engagement activities
  • Amending planning documents
  • Connecting Lands Office staff with other First Nations and educational resources
  • Creating or refining development review procedures

For more information, please contact your RC Land Code Governance Advisor or Land Code Governance Planner.

LUP Funding

The RC’s Land Use Plan (LUP) Funding Initiative provides up to $125,000 in funding and one-on-one technical support to help guide eligible Developmental and Operational First Nations through the Land Use Plan development process. The overall intent of the LUP Development Funding Initiative is to assist planning processes that are community-driven, where the First Nation and their Lands Department play a lead role with the support of a professional planner.

Once a Developmental or Operational First Nation has enacted their LUP, they may be eligible for additional funding to implement their LUP. The RC’s Land Use Plan Implementation Funding Initiative provides up to $175,000 and one-on-one technical support to eligible Signatory First Nations to undertake actions to implement their LUPs. These Funding Initiatives encourage innovative planning and implementation approaches that build on and advance good governance under Land Code.

Funding Application

Professional Land Use Planners

A Planning Consultant can help First Nations design appropriate and comprehensive land use plans and facilitate meaningful conversations with your community members.

Planning Consultants should seek to build the capacity of lands staff, and can provide support where needed:

  • To provide LUP expertise or experience that the community currently does not possess.
  • To do the LUPing work that you have no time to conduct
  • Should take direction from the Lands Manager / Staff
  • Planning Consultants should be accountable for planning and implementation outcomes.

Best practices:

  1. Look for a planner with their Registered Professional Planner (RPP) designation. Registered planners are held to a high standard of ethics and accountability, ensuring they provide the best possible service, advice, and guidance to the communities and clients they serve.
  2. Consider developing a detailed Request for Proposals (RFP) to outline the tasks you need the Planning Consultant to undertake to support your FN’s First Nation’s LUP development.

Some helpful links:

Canadian Institute of Planners

LUP Links and Resources

Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund – Comprehensive Community Planning Toolkit

Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund – Project Implementation Toolkit

LUP Examples

Please contact your Land Code Governance Advisor or an RC Land Code Governance Planner or for examples of First Nation Land Use Plans.

For more information, please contact:

Hilary Black – Land Code Governance Planner

1-416-797-0436
hilary.black@labrc.com

Andrew Smith – Land Code Governance Planner

1-506-233-3958
andrew.smith@labrc.com

Community of Practice:

If your First Nation would like to be invited to our regular Zoom meeting to discuss Land Use Planning, Indigenous Community Planning and Plan Development and Implementation, please fill in the form: (link to follow)