Completing the GNWT’s Land Use and Sustainability Framework is both an end and a beginning.

The framework will evolve over time. We will continue to define priorities with our partners and to refine our territorial land interests. We must work with all land owners to responsibly and sustainably manage the lands, waters and natural resources of the NWT for the benefit of current and future generations.

The framework will provide guidance to the GNWT as it delivers its programs, advances its positions, and makes decisions.

The framework acknowledges the interrelationship between social, cultural, environmental and economic interests and that progress is needed in all areas in order to truly achieve sustainability. Land use decisions are challenging in that many diverse and sometimes conflicting interests must be taken into account. Whenever decisions relating to land use are made, trade-offs and compromises occur. The framework is about balance: making sure one of these elements is not achieved at the expense of another. By applying the principles, and balancing land interests, the GNWT will promote cultural diversity, environmental stewardship and sustainable economic development.