The Yukon Land Use Planning Council is mandated to make recommendations to Government and each affected Yukon First Nation on the identification of planning regions and priorities for the preparation of regional land use plans. To date, the Council has recommended that the Yukon is divided into 8 planning regions and Terms of Reference have been approved for North Yukon, Peel Watershed and Dawson Planning Commissions.

In areas where the traditional territories of YFNs overlap, agreement must first be reached between First Nations as to how planning is to be done and the composition of planning commissions. The options for delineation of boundaries using natural features or administrative boundaries may not resolve into formal overlap agreements between FNs. A number of Final Agreement provisions do not apply in overlap areas, restricting the range of options a Commission may explore as tools for Plan implementation.

Within the Terms of Reference there is a section that defines the membership of the Commission. The land claim agreements call for the creation of planning commissions with the following composition: 1/3 YFNs nominees, 1/3 YG nominees and 1/3 based on the demographic ratio of Yukon First and non-First Nations in the region. The claims also indicate that the YFN nominees must be agreed upon by all the FNs with traditional territory in the planning region.

Terms of Reference are prepared by a region specific technical working committee and recommended to the Parties by Council. Terms of Reference define a Planning Region Boundary; set out membership on the Commission; clarify the relationship between the Parties, the Council, and the Commission; outline the process, timelines, products expected during the Commission’s term; and establish a budget for completion of a recommended land use plan. Explicit roles and responsibilities are not been defined in Terms of Reference, but are included as part of the common land use planning process recommended by YLUPC.