http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3233101

By Jessica Cable

Urgent need to develop land use plans: Wildlands League and Noront Resources

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society's Wildlands League and Noront Resources Ltd. are coming together and urging the Ontario government to begin land use planning with First Nations communities within the Ring of Fire chromite deposit.

In a letter addressed to various government ministers, the public interest group Wildlands League and Canadian mining company Noront highlight the "urgent need" to develop and approve compressive land use plans that will protect First Nations' land while preventing delays and missteps for mining companies developing in the area.

"What First Nations communities need to see is the options available to them and the cost and benefits of those options," said Anna Baggio the director of conservation and land use planning at Wildlands League.

Land use agreements are part of the government's Far North Act, which aims to protect 50 per cent of Northern land (225,000 kilometres) from development while providing stability for mining companies exploring and developing in Northern Ontario. Baggio said land use agreements with First Nations communities and should have been implemented last fall when the Far North Act was initially passed.

In 2010 there were more than 30 mining companies exploring in the Ring of Fire, according the Ontario government. The massive 5,120-square-kilometre resource-rich area is said to hold the largest deposit of chromite in the world.

"What it is, is getting a plan and moving that plan forward. Time is of the essence and the sooner development happens the sooner we are able to develop projects that are socially and environmentally responsible," said Noront Resources' president and chief executive officer Wesley Hanson.

Last September the Ontario government signed a Letter of Intent with two First Nations communities close to the Ring of Fire. Marten Falls First Nation and Webequie First Nation both outlined commitments between the province and mineral development in the McFaulds Lake Area, but that hasn't stopped some mining companies from exploring on aboriginal territory without permission.

"There are some companies that have not come to the table to sign exploration agreements, but more are becoming aware now," said Webequie's head band councillor Elcie MacDonald. "Nothing is going to come out of it unless they sign the exploration agreement."

Ontario's Progressive Conservative Party leader Tim Hudak's said he plans to scrap the Far North Act and increase development in the area if elected in October. Noront Resources and the Wildlands League said that without a plan to replace land use agreements, the path to responsibly and effectively developing Ring of Fire could be damaged.

"The First Nations knowledge is vital to consider in any type of infrastructure development because they have traditional areas that would impact them and knowing those areas in advance and being able to plan out development without impacting the traditional way of life of life in communities," said Hanson.

Baggio said the letter has yet to prompt a response from the government, but she does expect that the Ministers will respond.