The environmental wave of the 1980s will continue through the year 2000 and beyond. The public is demanding more and more involvement in development decisions. The issue not only for industry, but for regulators as well, is how to accomodate these public demands. In Alberta, the opportunity for the public to participate in the decision-making process regarding major energy projects has always been available. Any proponent is required to involve the public during the preparation of their environmental impact assessment and a quasi-judicial public hearing is provided for. This process, although efficient, tends to be confrontational and often does not result in a resolution of issues. As a result, community advisory committees often evolve out of the hearing to enable the affected community to become more actively involved in the project development and operation. In the oil sands region, this confrontational dilemma has been evident with the native community of Fort McKay since development began. In an effort to address this dilemma, The Alberta government initiated the community committee concept as a standing committee to deal with any new development proposals. The result has been open consultation with the community and resolution of issues before any confrontation could develop. Regional land use and reclamation decisions are being made with input of all stakeholders.