Management

Management

• The Athabasca tar sands region is currently managed according to the Fort McMurray-Athabasca Oil Sands Integrated Resource Plan (1996, amended 2002), which allows tar sands mining in the southwestern half of the McClelland Lake Wetland Complex.
• Other documents pertaining to management of the area are the draft Fort McMurray Mineable Oil Sands Integrated Resource Plan (2005), currently on hold, and the Regional Sustainable Oil Sands Strategy for the Athabasca Oil Sands Area (1999).
• Alberta Environment and Fisheries and Oceans Canada have recently completed a draft Water Management Framework: Instream Flow Needs and Water Management System for the Lower Athabasca River (July 10, 2006).
• Currently, a mere 0.1% (4.13 km²) of the tar sands Surface Mineable Area (SMA) is legally protected (La Saline Natural Area).

Oil sands operation - Photo Credit: Diana Horton