The importance of the natural environment can be expresssed in terms of its values: ecologoical, socio-cultural, and economic. Assigning monetary value to goods and services provided by ecosystems can be a great way ensure that the environment is carefully considered during regional planning processes.
This document was released in March of 2012 following a 2007 Federal Court ruling which recognised the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people's of 129,600ha of country between the South Mossman River and just North of Black Mountain near Cooktown.
The Napranum Shire Council released a community plan in 2012 looking at future development for (then) the next 10 years.