The following are a series of Frequently Asked Questions and their answers regarding the Natural Resources Strategy and process.
- Why is the Natural Resources Strategy being undertaken at this time?
- What is the process for developing the new strategy?
- PHASE 1 - What happened during Phase 1?
- What citizen values were identified by Voluntary Planning during Phase 1?
- What will happen with Voluntary Planning's Phase 1 report?
- How will the Voluntary Planning Phase 1 Report be considered by DNR?
- PHASE 2 - What happens during Phase 2 of the Natural Resources Strategy?
- Where is Phase 2 now?
- What is the role of the Steering Panel?
- Who is on the Phase 2 Steering Panel?
- How were the Steering Panel members selected?
- How will the Panels of Expertise members be selected?
- Who is on the Panels of Expertise?
- How are the Panels of Expertise set up?
- What is the role of the Panels of Expertise?
- How much are Steering Panel and Panels of Expertise members being paid?
- What is DNR's role in Phase 2?
- What is the role of the DNR Liaison to the Panels of Expertise?
- When will the Panels of Expertise begin their work?
- Who will be consulted?
- When will stakeholder consultations be held?
- Will all four Panels of Expertise operate in the same manner?
- Will technical stakeholders be making presentations to a Panel or Panels of Expertise?
- Will the panels have public meetings and can a member of the public present during Phase 2?
- Will DNR be bound to the Phase 2 report and recommendations?
- What will happen to the Phase 2 report? Will it be made public?
- What will happen following Phase 2?
1) Why is the Natural Resources Strategy being undertaken at this time? - Nova Scotia aims to have one of the cleanest and most sustainable environments in the world by 2020. The province's environmental and economic goals include the adoption of strategies to ensure the sustainability of the Province's natural capital in the areas of forests, minerals, parks and biodiversity by the year 2010. To help reach that goal, the Department of Natural Resources is developing a new Natural Resources Strategy, to be completed by 2010.
The Natural Resources Strategy 2010 initiative was announced in May 2007 as a three-year process. The decision to re-evaluate DNR's policies on forests minerals, and parks (in place since the 1980s), and to establish a policy on biodiversity, is in keeping with the Province's focus on sustainable prosperity and competitiveness, and the shift to a green economy.
2) What is the process for developing the new strategy? - The Natural Resources Strategy 2010 is being developed in three phases:
- Phase 1: Citizen Engagement (led by Voluntary Planning*), from January 2008 to April 2009
- Phase 2: Technical Expertise/Stakeholder Engagement, from April 2009 to March 2010
- Phase 3: Strategy Development, completed by end of 2010
*Note: Voluntary Planning is an arm’s length board of the provincial government mandated to engage citizens on important policy issues for the future. For more information visit Voluntary Planning online at http://vp.gov.ns.ca.
3) PHASE 1 - What happened during Phase 1? - Voluntary Planning solicited citizens to volunteer on a Natural Resources Citizen Engagement Committee that convened and chaired a series of 27 public meetings organized by Voluntary Planning staff across the province between May and June 2008.
More than 2,000 Nova Scotians attended the public meetings, or one of three values workshops held in the fall of 2009, and over 600 written and phone submissions were received, making this one of the Nova Scotia government's most successful public engagement efforts to date in terms of the level and quality of citizen participation.
The Committee's goal was to identify and assess citizen values, concerns and visions about the province's natural resources, specifically biodiversity, forests, minerals and parks.
4) What citizen values were identified by Voluntary Planning during Phase 1? - The five citizen values identified are: Sustainability, Diversity, Collaboration, Transparency, and Informed Decision Making. For more information on citizen values please download the Voluntary Planning Phase 1 report here or visit http://vp.gov.ns.ca.
5) What will happen with Voluntary Planning's Phase 1 report? - Voluntary Planning's Natural Resources Citizen Engagement Committee released the Phase 1 report titled The Future of Nova Scotia's Natural Resources: Our Common Ground on April 17, 2009.
The Report, submissions and details from the community meetings and workshops will inform and provide a strong foundation for the remaining two phases of the Natural Resources Strategy 2010 development process.
The five citizen values identified in the Phase 1 report will frame and guide Phase 2 and Phase 3 activities of the Natural Resources Strategy 2010 process such that the resulting strategy document reflects these citizen values.
Download the Phase 1 report here or go to http://vp.gov.ns.ca
6) How will the Voluntary Planning Phase 1 Report be considered by DNR? - The Phase 1 Report describes and discusses the broad public values that Voluntary Planning heard during the Phase 1 public engagement process. The Terms of Reference for the Steering Panel and the Panels of Expertise include clauses stating that the overall strategic direction of these groups is to be in alignment with and reflect the citizen values identified in the Phase 1 Report.
7) PHASE 2 - What happens during Phase 2 of the Natural Resources Strategy? - Under the auspices of the Phase 2 Steering Panel, four Panels of Expertise (forests, minerals, parks, and biodiversity) will seek stakeholder technical expertise from across the province in the four focus areas. Findings and recommendations from each Panel of Expertise will feed the Steering Panel's Phase 2 report and recommendations that in turn, will inform Phase 3 when the Natural Resources Strategy 2010 will be written. Phase 2 technical expertise is being sought within the parameters of citizen values that were identified in Phase 1.
The Steering Panel and the Panels of Expertise began their work in summer 2009. The Phase 2 report and recommendations will be completed by the end of March 2010 and delivered to the Minister of Natural Resources.
8) Where is Phase 2 now?
- Phase 2 is well under way with the four non-governmental Panels of Expertise gathering technical expertise in their four focus areas. With oversight from the Steering Panel and support from the DNR Liaisons, all 4 Panels of Expertise:
- Have reviewed the Phase 1 report citizen value content that relates to their focus areas;
- Have completed their preliminary work plans to guide their activities throughout Phase 2;
- Have been reviewing reports and other resources to enhance their awareness and understanding in their areas of focus;
- Have been identifying technical information gaps relating to the four focus areas and researching for technical information that may fill those gaps;
- Have solicited, received and have been reviewing a preliminary round of written submissions.
Looking ahead, the Panels of Expertise will continue their activities to identify and fill as many technical information gaps as possible in the time remaining by analyzing written submissions, reviewing technical literature and other resources, engaging those with necessary technical expertise in the focus areas, and soliciting submissions from them as required. The Panels of Expertise will conclude their research, analysis, and related activities by January 2010 and submit their final reports to the Steering Panel by February 2010.
9) What is the role of the Steering Panel? - The Steering Panel ensures that the Natural Resources Strategy 2010 reflects the citizen values identified in Phase 1 throughout the remainder of the strategy process. The Steering Panel oversees Phase 2 of the Strategy and directs (at a high level) the work of the Panels of Expertise. The Steering Panel prepares and delivers the Phase 2 report and recommendations to the Minister of Natural Resources based on the work of the Panels of Expertise.
Download the Steering Panel Terms of Reference here or go to http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/strategy2010/
10) Who is on the Phase 2 Steering Panel? - Three prominent Nova Scotians have been appointed to the Phase 2 Steering Panel to oversee the balance of the Natural Resources Strategy 2010 development process.
Former Natural Resources Minister David Morse appointed Retired Chief Justice of Nova Scotia Constance Glube chair of the steering panel in December 2008. She is joined by Joe Marshall and Allan Shaw who were appointed in April 2009 by former Natural Resources Minister Carolyn Bolivar-Getson.
Joe Marshall is the executive director of the Union of Nova Scotia Indians and the Mi'kmaq senior advisor for the Mi'kmaq Rights Initiative. He is a retired associate professor at Cape Breton University and a retired instructor at the Eskasoni Training and Education Centre.
Allan Shaw, is non-executive chairman of the Shaw Group, a director with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Public Affairs, and a past chair of Atlantic Provinces Economic Council. He is a Member of the Order of Canada.
11) How were the Steering Panel members selected? - Steering Panel members were selected using the criteria set out in the Steering Panel Terms of Reference and in a manner that ensured members represented a broad range of interests.
12) How were the Panels of Expertise members be selected? - Advertisements inviting applications to be a panel member were placed in various newspapers across the province during January 2009. Interested individuals were requested to submit their resumes. A first level screening, where applications were reviewed against the criteria identified in the Terms of Reference for the Panels of Expertise, determined a list of applicants who were eeligible for consideration by the Steering Panel. The list of eligible applicants was forwarded to the Sterring Panel whose role was to review each applicant for potential membership, consideting additional factors, such as gender, and geographic representation, and how to present a balance of perspectives on each of the four three member Panels of Expertise. The Steering Panel then recommended potential members to the Minister of Natural Resources, who has responsibility for appointing members to the Panels. The Minister announced the appointments in a news release on July 23, 2009.
13) Who is on the Panels of Expertise? - There are three persons appointed to each of the four Panels of Expertise, one Panel for each area of the Natural Resources Strategy: forests, parks, minerals and biodiversity. Members of each Panel of Expertise are noted in the Department’s news release at http://www.gov.ns.ca/news/details.asp?id=20090723004
14) How are the Panels of Expertise set up? - There is one Panel of Expertise for each of the four topic areas. Each Panel of Expertise consists of three people who are not Nova Scotia government employees and who represent a broad range of expert knowledge and experience in the topic area on which their Panel will be focused. One of the three panelists serves as the panel lead. A Department of Natural Resources Liaison has been appointed by the Department to each of the four panels, but does not serve as a panel member.
15) What is the role of the Panels of Expertise? - Under the auspices of the Phase 2 Steering Panel, four Panels of Expertise (forests, minerals, parks, and biodiversity) analyze technical information and issues concerning its focus area, and consult with technical stakeholders to collect their input.
Findings and recommendations from each Panel of Expertise feed into the Steering Panel's Phase 2 report and recommendations that inform Phase 3 when the Natural Resources Strategy 2010 will be written. Phase 2 technical expertise is solicited within the parameters of citizen values that were identified in Phase 1.
Click here for the Panel of Expertise Terms of Reference including membership criteria
16) How much are Steering Panel and Panels of Expertise members being paid? - While the positions are voluntary, panel members receive travel expenses and a per diem. The Steering Panel Chair will receive a per diem of $200, while all other panel members will receive a per diem of $150.
17) What is DNR's role in Phase 2?- DNR played no role in Phase 1 and plays a minimal role in Phase 2. The Department will provide appropriately qualified staff members for the four DNR Liaison positions with each acting as a communication and research link with their corresponding Panels of Expertise. The Steering Panel will lead Phase 2 and its Panels of Expertise will conduct stakeholder consultation in an open and unbiased manner.
All panel members, liaisons and DNR's Project Management Team are bound to conduct their activities in alignment with the Natural Resources Strategy 2010 Guiding Principles, and the citizen values identified in the Phase 1 Report from Voluntary Planning's Natural Resources Citizen Engagement Committee.
18) What is the role of the DNR Liaison to the Panels of Expertise? - The role of the DNR Liaisons includes:
- Acting as a conduit by which the Panels of Expertise access pertinent subject matter expertise, background information, research, and stakeholder contact and context
- Providing basic DNR perspective on related topics
- Broadening DNR's ability to accommodate new external technical perspectives Click here for details.
19) When will the Panels of Expertise begin their work? - The Panels of Expertise began their work in late July, 2009 and will carry out their work through early 2010.
20) Who will be consulted? - With approval from the Steering Panel, as an initial step in the Phase 2 technical stakeholder consultation, the Panels of Expertise have identified select stakeholders for each of the four focus areas and have requested submissions from them. The selected stakeholders were identified by the Panels on the basis of providing information where the Panels of Expertise identified gaps in the information collected through Phase 1 reports, Phase 1 submissions, Panel research and based on the Panel member’s area of expertise. The Panels will identify additional opportunities for Phase 2 consultation as needed. The Department of Natural Resources has delegated the non-governmental Panels of Expertise to carry out the third party consultation process. While the Department is assisting with administration of the Strategy process, it is at arms length to the consultation process.
21) When will stakeholder consultations be held? - In consultation with the Steering Panel, the Panels of Expertise have scheduled the Phase 2 consultation process from October 2009 through January 2010. The initial Phase 2 stakeholder consultation period requested that stakeholder submissions be sent to the the Panels of Expertise by October 23, 2009.
22) Will all four Panels of Expertise operate in the same manner? - Before stakeholder consultations began, the Steering Panel and the four Panels of Expertise established guidelines, processes and explored criteria for use by all four panels in assessing which stakeholders should be involved and how best to consult with them. However, each Panel of Expertise is responsible for identifying information needed to present its Phase 2 recommendations, and flexibility is necessary to ensure that each Panel of Expertise functions using the unique experience that is members bring.
23) Will technical stakeholders be making presentations to a Panel or Panels of Expertise? - Once the Panels of Expertise have reviewed the initial stakeholder submissions they will define, in concert with the Steering Panel, the next steps in the Phase 2 stakeholder engagement requirements, format and process.
24) Will the panels have public meetings and can a member of the public present during Phase 2? - In Phase 1 of the Natural Resources Strategy, more than 2,000 Nova Scotians participated in public meetings, organized by Voluntary Planning. Citizens were also invited to discuss public values at three workshops held in the fall of 2008, and over 600 submissions were received during that Phase of the Strategy, making this one of our most successful public engagement efforts to date.
Phase 2 is directed to technical stakeholder engagement which builds upon the public values established in Phase 1 and further examines the issues and challenges for each of the Strategy components. The Panels of Expertise are currently working with the Steering Panel to continue to define the formats and requirements for the engagement of technical stakeholders who will participate in Phase 2 of the process. Given the technical mandate of Phase 2, the Panels of Expertise have not identified the need for public meetings.
25) Will DNR be bound to the Phase 2 report and recommendations? - In the development of the Natural Resources Strategy as the output of Phase 3, the Department will be accountable for answering to both the citizen values identified in the Phase 1 report, and the Phase 2 report and recommendations.
26) What will happen to the Phase 2 report? Will it be made public? - The Chair of the Steering Panel will submit the Phase 2 report and recommendations to the Minister of Natural Resources in late 2009. The Minister will, in turn, release the report to the public.
27) What will happen following Phase 2? - Phase 2 will be completed once the Steering Panel submits the Phase 2 report to the Minister: this marks the beginning of the third and final phase of the Natural Resources Strategy 2010 initiative.
Phase 3 will see the development of a new Natural Resources Strategy to guide the management of parks, minerals, forests and biodiversity using:
- Phase 1 Report and 2 report and recommendations
- Natural Resources Strategy 2010 Guiding Principles
- Novas Scotia government strategy development process guidelines