INTEGRATED LAND USE PLANNING UNDERWAY FOR DORE/SMOOTHSTONE LAKE AREA

Released on September 29, 1997

Environment and Resource Management Minister Lorne Scott today

announced that residents of the Dore and Smoothstone Lakes region are

working with his department to develop a land use plan for the area.



The Dore/Smoothstone Advisory Board will work with a department

planning team to develop the integrated land use plan, which will

guide and direct the types of resource activities in the area. The

plan will also help identify and protect sensitive or unique

ecological features.



"Saskatchewan residents are placing ever increasing demands on our

resources and there are many different ways in which people value and

use the land," Scott said. "Land use planning allows us to achieve

sustainable development -- balancing forestry, mining and other

resource activities, with the environmental, cultural, historic and

social values people hold for the land."



Scott said the integrated land use plan will set overall management

objectives and guidelines for the area's development. This may

include restriction of some activities and the development of

guidelines for resource use in the region.



Dore/Smoothstone Advisory Board members represent local outfitters,

commercial fishermen, off-reserve Treaty Indians, trappers,

contractors, wild rice growers and forest contractors.



Other organizations on the board are the Dore/Sled Lake Metis

Local 67, Michel Point Cottage Owners Association, Hamlet of Dore

Lake, Settlement of Sled Lake, Weyerhaeuser Canada, Tower Beach

Cottage Owners' Association, and the Dore/Smoothstone Lakes

Wilderness Protection Association.



Scott praised the commitment of the volunteers on the Advisory

Board and noted they had already participated in a number of

productive internal planning meetings. Public meetings will be

held in local communities to ensure the concerns, needs and

recommendations of local people are addressed during the

development of the plan.



Once the integrated land use plan is developed, it will be

distributed as a draft for final review and further public

consultation.



Other land use planning processes are currently underway in the

Pasquia-Porcupine, Amisk-Atik and Great Sand Hills areas of the

province.



-30-



For more information, contact:



Kim Clark

Integrated Land Use Planning Coordinator

Environment and Resource Management

Sustainable Land Management

Prince Albert

Phone: (306) 953-2786