Finding solutions: Reserve Lands and Environment Management Program Engagement 2017
From Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
Current status: Closed
The engagement will start on May 1, 2017 and will close on November 30, 2017.
On this page
Why
Managing reserve lands is beneficial to First Nations as it enables self-determination and economic opportunities.
As part of its commitment to support First Nations governance and socio-economic development, INAC is seeking input on how the Reserve Lands and Environment Management Program (RLEMP) can better meet the needs of First Nations wanting to manage their own lands. Continuous program improvement is important to ensure that First Nation communities have the supports they need to manage their reserve lands.
To ensure that this engagement meets the needs of First Nation communities, INAC met with regional Indigenous lands managers associations in the fall of 2016 to identify key themes to guide the engagement. To find out more about what we heard, visit: What we heard in the pre-engagement sessions.
Who
INAC is engaging with:
- First Nations interested in lands and environment management
- national and regional Indigenous organizations
- post-secondary educational institutions and training providers
- other interested stakeholders
What
INAC is seeking input to develop options to improve the program. This includes:
- identifying First Nations' training needs for land and environment management on reserve to improve the Professional Lands Management Certification Program
- identifying practical improvements to RLEMP to ensure First Nations can continue to effectively manage their reserve lands
The engagement will focus on four themes:
- community planning and lands and environmental management
- building lands and environmental management capacity
- funding sources and the RLEMP funding formula
- transitions into and out of RLEMP
How to participate
There are three ways to participate:
- attend a regional conference (for First Nation representatives)
- read the discussion guide and send your responses by email at aadnc.rlemp.aandc@canada.ca
- read the discussion guide and send your responses by mail to the address in Contact us
When and where
INAC is partnering with the National Aboriginal Lands Managers Association (NALMA) to host engagement sessions across Canada.
| Date | Location |
|---|---|
| May 2-4, 2017 | Wendake, QC |
| May 9-11, 2017 | Toronto, ON |
| May 16-18, 2017 | Winnipeg, MB |
| May 30- June 1, 2017 | Saskatoon, SK |
| June 6-8, 2017 | Edmonton, AB |
| June 13-15, 2017 | Kelowna, BC |
| June 27-29, 2017 | Moncton, NB |
| September, 13 2017 | Whitehorse, YT |
What we heard
A final report of what we heard is now available.
Summaries of the engagement meetings are available online after the meetings:
- Wendake, Quebec, May 2-3
- Toronto, Ontario, May 9-11
- Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 16-18
- Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, May 30 to June 1
- Edmonton, Alberta, June 6-8
- Kelowna, British Columbia, June 13-15
- Moncton, New Brunswick, June 26-28
- Whitehorse, Yukon, September 13
First Nations are encouraged to read and comment on these summaries to ensure that all of their suggestions and views have been gathered for consideration. These comments can be submitted electronically or in writing by October 1, 2017.
Options for further consideration will be developed and posted online in fall 2017. First Nations and Indigenous organizations (such as regional land manager associations) are strongly encouraged to provide additional feedback on these options.
What we heard in the pre-engagement sessions
To better prepare for this engagement, pre-engagement meetings were held with these groups in the fall of 2016:
- National Aboriginal Lands Managers Association
- Atlantic Region Aboriginal Lands Association
- First Nation Lands Managers Association for Quebec and Labrador
- Ontario Aboriginal Lands Association
- Manitoba Uske
- Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians
- Treaty and Aboriginal Land Stewards Association of Alberta
- British Columbia Aboriginal Land Managers
The valuable feedback received helped shape this engagement. Our hope is that we can work together and focus on finding the best ways RLEMP can continue to support First Nation communities into the future.
These are the highlights of what we have heard so far:
1) RLEMP training is effective but could be further improved.
- While the University of Saskatchewan is doing a great job at providing training, it would be nice to have academic training offered at more institutions across the country, including training in French.
- There are not enough on-line or distance learning options currently available for students who may not be able to travel.
- More hands-on training (e.g. job shadowing/mentorship/apprenticeship) is needed to help enhance the academic learning and provide real on the ground experience for new lands managers.
- The networking opportunities for participants training in the Professional Land Management Certification Program (PLMCP) are very valuable and should not be forgotten.
- RLEMP only provides training for one land manager per community; this does not help First Nations who lose a lands manager and does not help with succession planning.
- There is not enough on-going training after land managers are certified for continued professional development.
- Competency-based skills evaluations may be more effective than credential-based evaluations, particularly when it comes to prior learning assessment and recognition.
- There are First Nations communities who are not eligible for RLEMP funding but who still send their lands managers on the training because they see the certification as important and useful.
- More environmental management training is needed; many land managers do not feel like they know enough to do what is required.
- Better coordination is required with land management and environmental management training.
2) The RLEMP funding formula should be examined and updated.
- The current RLEMP funding formula is inefficient to administer and difficult to explain. Many lands managers do not understand how their operational funding is calculated.
- A transaction-based formula does not capture all the work that lands managers do to help their communities.
- Not all lands transactions are captured in the formula. Consideration should be given to expanding the kinds of transactions used to calculate funding, or to find a way to provide funding to recognize the other work lands managers provide.
- Some First Nations do not receive enough funding to cover the costs of staffing or supporting a land management office. This is due to smaller population size, smaller land base, or lower number of transactions registered in the Indian Lands Registry System.
- Better compliance and accountability tools need to be developed to ensure that funds are more efficiently used to support a lands office.
- Even after the training, regional offices continue to provide substantial administrative support to some RLEMP First Nations even though they receive full operational funding.
3) Better links can be made to other lands programs or regimes.
- More could be done to improve pre-readiness for First Nations who would like to join RLEMP but do not currently meet the entry criteria.
- More could be done to improve pre-readiness under RLEMP for First Nations who wish to transition under the Framework Agreement on First Nations Lands Management.
Contact us
RLEMP Engagement 2017
Community Lands Development Directorate
10 Wellington Street, 17th floor
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0H4
Email: aadnc.rlemp.aandc@canada.ca