There are increasing number stakeholders and various land uses taking place at the local level, a trend that is occurring not only in Canada, but across the globe. Without a cohesive approach to stakeholder engagement, collaboration and active participation to work towards and achieve common goals and objectives, natural resource conflict and environmental degradation will likely heighten. Increasingly, Canadian natural resource industry faces challenges to achieve and maintain their social license and adhere to sustainability standards. Moreover, a collective approach to management of multiple land uses and values is critical to ensure regional landscapes are managed responsibly, for the benefit of future generations.

The CMFN has identified this as an opportunity, to which it can apply its multi-stakeholder approach to natural resource sector management discussions at the local, national and international levels, to foster resource integration and responsible resource decision-making at the landscape level.