Land access agreements are a very important part of preparing for the Mackenzie Gas Project. To build and operate the proposed pipeline and related facilities, we must be able to access specific private and crown lands.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in October 2001 identifies the principles to develop land access and benefits arrangements and the process for negotiating them.

A major objective of the MOU was to ensure that the Mackenzie Valley natural gas pipeline is constructed and operated in a way that will give significant economic benefits to northerners. It also recognizes the Project must be economically viable and designed and approved in a reasonably timely manner.

Land access agreements are often negotiated together with benefits arrangements. Land access agreements are negotiated so that the Project can have access to and across aboriginal-owned land to conduct activity approved and licensed by the government. The negotiated land access agreements provide for the Project to pay for the agreed upon access fees and will identify the terms and conditions under which the activity will be conducted on the lands.

Continued efforts to move the project forward by ensuring that Aboriginal communities along the pipeline route have benefits and access agreements in place. Currently all Aboriginal community agreements, except the Deh Cho, are signed and executed. Discussions continue.

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