It is the Nunavut Planning Commission's job to put together a land use plan that sets out how people will manage the lands, waters and wildlife in the Territory while encouraging different kinds of land use.

The plan allows for the management of competing interests for land. The NPC looks carefully at many types of information in drafting the plan. For example, it's important to know where camps are. A community might be interested in expanding its fishery.

Inuit-owned lands are of special interest. Roads, ports, hydro development, caribou protection and many other issues are raised. The land use plan gives guidance and direction to mining, oil and gas companies, or any organization that wishes to use the land.

While many issues are common across Nunavut, there are distinct and differing lifestyles of Inuit and special situations which exist in specific areas, so the territory-wide plan also has three regional chapters.