The framework presented here provides an objective and transparent way of analyzing and documenting how decisions are made. It also outlines how an inclusive decision making process can incorporate the interests of multiple stakeholders, and provide feedback on how preferences for one stakeholder group will impact the interests of others. This transparent planning process minimizes subjectivity involved in planning processes and provides an avenue for the integration of the interests of all stakeholders to be incorporated in the planning process, and how the use of a spatial optimization tool avoids inefficient outcomes. We aim for this report to provide an example of how systematic conservation planning can be used to address difficult decisions, and would encourage the Strategic Environment Assessment for Oil to seriously consider using similar methods to balance the demand for extractive resources with conservation in this landscape.