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South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan engagement

Albertans can review and provide input on the draft South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan and regulations starting January 9, 2026.

Overview

We are gathering input on the draft South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan along with associated regulations. Starting January 9, 2026, Albertans can let us know what they think about the draft plan and proposed amendments to the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan.

The South Athabasca sub-region is bordered on the north and west by the Clearwater and Athabasca Rivers, to the south by the Beaver River, and by the Saskatchewan border to the east. The sub-region overlaps Treaty 6, Treaty 8 and Treaty 10 lands.

The draft plan shows how we want to manage land in the area. It sets rules for things like building roads, cutting trees, oil and gas work, recreation, and other industry uses. Sub-regional plans should provide opportunities for Albertans to work and play, improve the overall landscape, and enable Indigenous traditional land uses.

Status

  • Open

    Survey open from January 9 to April 9, 2026

  • Results under review

  • Completed

Who is listening

Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas
Land Use Secretariat

Get informed

Learn more about the draft South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan, the related regulatory details, the associated amendments to the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan, and how we got here:

  • Resources

  • How we got here

    • The draft South Athabasca Sub-regional plan was informed by the work and recommendations of the Cold Lake and Wandering River Sub-regional Task Forces which brought together perspectives from:
      • local municipalities
      • Indigenous peoples and organizations
      • the energy and forestry sectors
      • trappers
      • recreational users
      • environmental non-government organizations
      • other local knowledge-holders and interested parties
    • The Cold Lake and Wandering River Sub-regions have been combined as the South Athabasca Sub-region.
    • Feedback on the Cold Lake Regulatory Details on which we engaged with Albertans during 2024, and the Cold Lake Sub-regional Plan approved in 2021, informed the development of the draft South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan and its regulatory details.
      • The previously planned amendments to the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan, to incorporate the Cold Lake Regulatory Details, are being replaced by the South Athabasca Sub-regional plan and associated regulatory details.
    • The draft South Athabasca Sub-regional plan and associated regulatory details were informed by engagement with industry subject matter experts and Indigenous communities and organizations.

  • Amending the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan

    • We propose to adopt the South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan and incorporate the associated regulatory details as Part 9  of the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan to support its full implementation.
    • Albertans can provide feedback on proposed amendments to the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan to implement the regional plan’s commitments within this sub-regional area.
      • These changes are described in the South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan’s section about implementing the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan commitments. This section includes amendments to existing conservation areas and establishment of a multi-use corridor.
    • The amendments proposed for the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan are solely related to implementing the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan commitments and implementing the South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan.
    • The consultation and feedback that was provided in the development of the draft South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan and through this engagement will be considered part of the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan amendment public consultation process.
    • A portion of the Wandering River Sub-region around La Biche River Wildland Provincial Park is permanently located outside the boundaries of the Lower Athabasca Region.
    • The Alberta Land Stewardship Act established the legal basis for regional and sub-regional plans.

Get involved

Engagement starts January 9, 2026

There will be several opportunities to learn about and provide your input on the draft South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan, including the related regulatory details and the associated amendments to the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan.

  • Online survey – starts January 9, 2026
  • Public virtual information sessions (To be announced)
  • Public in-person open houses (To be announced)
    • Lac La Biche, Cold Lake, and Fort McMurray

Indigenous engagement

We will work directly with Indigenous communities and organizations throughout the South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan area to ensure their perspectives are heard and explored.

Sector engagement

We will meet with interested sectors within the South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan area.

We will notify holders of statutory consents that are expressly identified by the proposed plan and regulatory details to provide the opportunity for these individuals to propose alternate means to achieve the policy outcomes of the sub-regional plan.

Outcomes

Feedback will be carefully reviewed and considered before we finalize the South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan. This will include the related regulatory details and the associated amendments to incorporate the regulatory details in the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan.

News

Contact

Connect with the South Athabasca Sub-regional Plan engagement:
Email: [email protected] 

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