Mandate

The mandate of each regional land and natural resource commission (CRRNT) will be to

• plan, coordinate and promote the development of the region concerned with regard to its land base and natural resources;
• draw up a regional plan for integrated land and natural resource development (PRDIRT) and help implement it.

In pursuit of its mandate, the regional land and natural resource commission (CRRNT) must ensure that it takes into account the interests of Native communities in land and natural resources.

Structure

In each region, to ensure that the regional land and natural resource commission (CRRNT) is representative of the local community, the regional conference of elected officers (CRE) will determine its structure and operating rules with regard to

• the quorum;
• the decision-making procedure;
• the rules concerning the holding of public hearings;
• the rules concerning transparency and access to information;
• the obligations and mechanisms concerning accountability, etc.

The regional conference of elected officers (CRE) will remain the Government’s point of contact for regional development, while the regional land and natural resource commission (CRRNT) will be the regional joint action authority for all matters relating to land and natural resource development.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of each regional land and natural resource commission (CRRNT) will be specified in a regionalization agreement between the MRNF and the regional conference of elected officers (CRE), depending on the responsibilities that the latter wishes to take in hand. The responsibilities that may be assigned to a regional land and natural resource commission (CRRNT) are as follows.

• Identify needs for data-gathering in the region to allow the regional land and natural resource commission (CRRNT) to exercise its responsibilities. There may be a need, for example, to
• prepare a socio-economic profile;
• prepare a profile of land and natural resource usage;
• set regional priorities for research and data-gathering;
• determine the potential for protecting and developing land and natural resources;
• promote and support training, awareness and education projects;
• rely more on Native knowledge.
• Set regional guidelines for the development and conservation of land and natural resources and submit opinions to the MRNF, where appropriate. As a discussion table, the regional land and natural resource commission (CRRNT) must encourage regional stakeholders to express their opinions concerning
• the setting of guidelines, positions and priorities for regional development;
• the setting of regional objectives for the development and conservation of land and natural resources;
• the adaptation of existing standards and programs to regional realities;
• the setting of guidelines for the development and maintenance of the forest road network.
• Help plan the development of land and natural resources by preparing the regional plan for integrated land and natural resource development (PRDIRT) and ensuring consultation before the plan is adopted (see next point).
• Ensure the development and conservation of land and natural resources, in particular through
• the implementation of the regional plan for integrated land and natural resource development (PRDIRT);
• the promotion of regional potential;
• the management and development of programs adapted to the regional context;
• the organization of regional consultations.
• Submit opinions on the allocation of certain rights, as proposed in the Government’s decentralization and regionalization approach.
• Monitor and follow up on planning, in particular by
• monitoring the implementation of the regional plan for integrated land and natural resource development (PRDIRT) (periodic review);
• completing regional updates on land and natural resource development;
• proposing priorities, targets and guidelines to the Department concerning land and natural resource use.
• Support greater regional cooperation by setting up extended regional forums bringing together all stakeholders, including Native communities. The forums will examine questions relating to the development of land and natural resources.
• Establish accountability mechanisms, and in particular measure the degree to which the objectives of the regional land and natural resource commission (CRRNT) and the Department are met.