Morice Land and Resource Management Plan
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- Recommendations to LRMP Table
- Tourism and Recreation
- Sector Development Strategy
- Identified Opportunities
ConclusionThe long-term demand, supply and price scenarios for oil and gas suggest that further development of this resource in the province of BC is inevitable. However, outside of the northeast, the industry is only in its embryonic phase. There is practically no production, very little exploration history and an undeveloped infrastructure base. It will take a concerted effort on behalf of government, the private sector and the public to set in motion the conditions for new investment and development. Recent provincial government efforts to stimulate investor activity with a provincial energy plan and a favourable strategy/policy framework will help. Communities and regions which are interested in diversifying their economic bases and desire the high-paying employment which this industry can generate will have to coordinate their own planning, such as the LRMP process, to ensure the business climate is conducive to industry development. However, there is a time risk overhanging the undeveloped oil and gas potential in British Columbia associated with the anticipated transition to alternative fuels, particularly hydrogen. Currently hydrogen is anticipated to begin making an impact in the world oil consumption some time after 2020 and natural gas will follow roughly ten years later. Once this transition begins it is likely oil and gas will be sourced from areas where infrastructure is in place and costs can be minimized. Recommendations to LRMP TableRecommendation – The LRMP should consider zoning the area at the north end of Babine Lake as industrial use. Due to its proximity to established service centres; Smithers and Houston, this area will likely see some amount of exploration in the coming years. Recommendation - Access to this area should be identified to reduce land use conflicts with non-industrial uses later. Tourism and RecreationIntroductionTourism accounts for approximately 5 percent of the economy in the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako. This percentage is expected to grow substantially as more and more of the population looks for new ways and locations for spending their leisure time. Tourism potential in the Morice is enormous and it is largely undeveloped, however, it is anticipated to become a major income and job creation engine over the next several years. For a detailed assessment of Tourism Industry in the Morice refer to the Morice Land and Resource Management Plan: Socio-Economic Base Case. The following sections explore the criteria and conditions for developing these opportunities. Sector Development StrategyWith a diverse, pristine landscape, abundance of wildlife, and low population density the tourism industry in the Morice is primarily nature based. With a wealth of natural beauty the economic development strategy for tourism is focused on maintaining natural wilderness experiences and promoting the region as a wilderness attraction. To implement this strategy the LRMP should consider the following courses of action:
The tourism sector is heavily influenced by geo-political events at home and abroad. Acts of terrorism such as the 911 attack on the United States have an enormous and long felt affect of the tourism industry. The combination of a SARS outbreak and the threat of a mad cow outbreak were serious blows to a sector of the economy that was trying to rebound. In a heavily competitive marketplace the Morice stands to capture its share of the market interested in wilderness experiences. Land-use decisions and management direction will ultimately determine if the tourism industry can prosper in this highly volatile environment. Identified OpportunitiesTable 20 lists the Economic Development action Plan Working Group’s tourism opportunities and their respective rankings. Table 20. Identified Tourism Opportunities and rankings
Using the ranking criteria to identify top priority opportunities, six were selected for further analysis. Those opportunities were; hiking trail development / portage / historic trails reclamation / interpretive trail development, house boating, snowmobile tours / destination snowmobiling, commercial rec. site development, First Nations cultural heritage site development, and guided tours of historic mines / prospecting tours. The ranking process identified four other opportunities of relatively equal priority. The large number of opportunities is a reflection of the interest the local communities have in developing this sector of the economy. This was also evident in the outcomes of the SWOT analysis. Given the large number of opportunities of equal ranking and with limited resources to undertake analysis each member of the Working Group was asked to identify their top six opportunities. The six opportunities highlighted in yellow above were chosen to undergo technical analysis. It should be noted that all of these opportunities were felt to have merit and should be explored through some other process. Westcoast CED Ltd., the consultant hired to undertake the technical analysis of these opportunities, also provided an analysis of an opportunity they felt would be of benefit to the tourism industry in the Morice; Tour package marketer (a person or company that works for all tour operators in the area). It is presented in this report as it has a positive influence on the sector. For further information on these and other economic development opportunities interested individuals are asked to review the Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management, Building Blocks. Information on these Building Blocks can be obtained online at http://srmwww.gov.bc.ca/rmd/ecdev/analysis/building_blocks.htm . Download 1.06 Mb. Share with your friends:
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