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Alberta Wetland Policy:A Shift in Values
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development 2013
Thorsten HebbenPolicy Division, ESRD
Outline
• Brief Policy Overview– Wetland Definition & Importance– Policy Goal & Outcomes– Relative Wetland Value– Wetland Mitigation
• Policy Implementation– Goal and Outcomes– Governance Structure– Management System
• Deliverables– Next Steps
What is a Wetland?
• “A wetland is land saturated with water long enough to promote formation of water altered soils, growth of water tolerant vegetation, and various kinds of biological activity that are adapted to the wet environment.”
• Highly diverse, productive ecosystems that provide a host of ecological services.
• Play an important role in sustaining healthy watersheds by:– protecting water quality (sedimentation, contaminant removal)– providing flood and drought mitigation (keeping water in place)– providing water storage and infiltration (groundwater connectivity)– providing habitat for wildlife, fish and plants, and sustaining biodiversity.
• To date, Alberta has lost between 60 and 70% of wetlands within the White (settled) Area of the province. Losses are ongoing.
Bog Fen Swamp
Marsh Shallow Open Water
What is a Wetland?
Alberta Wetland Policy
• Policy Goal:– To conserve, restore, protect, and manage Alberta’s wetlands
to sustain the benefits they provide to the environment, society, and the economy.
• Policy Outcomes:1. Wetlands of the highest value are protected for the long-term
benefit of all Albertans.2. Wetlands and their benefits are conserved and restored in
areas where losses have been high.3. Wetlands are managed by avoiding and minimizing negative
impacts, and, where necessary, replacing lost wetland value.4. Wetland management considers regional context.
Relative Wetland Value
Wetlands are highly diverse in form, function, use, and distribution across the province – they are not all of equal value.
Incr
easi
ng W
etla
nd V
alue
Moderate (B)
Moderately Low (C)
Low (D)
High (A)
Water Quality Improvement
Wetland Value Criteria
Biodiversity
AbundanceHuman Value
Flood Reduction
Wetland Value Categories
Incr
easi
ng W
etla
nd V
alue
Moderate (B)
Moderately Low (C)
Low (D)
High (A)
Incr
easi
ng W
etla
nd V
alue
Moderate (B)Moderate (B)
Moderately Low (C)Moderately Low (C)
Low (D)Low (D)
High (A)High (A)
Water Quality Improvement
Wetland Value Criteria
Biodiversity
AbundanceHuman Value
Flood ReductionFlood Reduction
Wetland Value Categories
Relative Value Assessment Units
Mitigation System
Avoidance – The preferred response is to avoid impacts on wetlands.
Minimization – Where avoidance is not possible, proponents will be expected to minimize impacts on wetlands.
Replacement – As a last resort, and where avoidance and minimization efforts are not feasible or prove ineffective, wetland replacement will be required.
Avoid
Minimize
Replace
Avoid
Minimize
Replace
Wetland Replacement
• Wetland reclamation commitments, as established through reclamation plans, will help inform the determination of replacement requirements.
• Replacement will consider both restorative and non-restorative options, based on defined criteria.– Restorative: Restore, Enhance, Construct– Non-Restorative: Research, Education
• Replacement requirements enable and encourage innovation.
• Wetland replacement will be spatially prioritized.
Replacement Ratios
The Wetland Replacement Matrix
Value of Replacement Wetland D C B A
A 8:1 4:1 2:1 1:1
B 4:1 2:1 1:1 0.5:1
C 2:1 1:1 0.5:1 0.25:1
D 1:1 0.5:1 0.25:1 0.125:1
Valu
e of
Los
t Wet
land
*Ratios are expressed as hectares of wetland
PolicyImplementation
Mandate
• The purpose of the Wetland Policy Implementation Project is to develop and implement a new wetland management system for the Province of Alberta, as described in the Alberta Wetland Policy.
• Project objectives are as follows:1. Confirm the tools, processes, and systems that are needed to
support policy implementation.
2. Further develop and validate the tools, processes, and systems identified under Objective One.
3. Lead capacity building, communication, and engagement efforts (internally and externally) to ensure implementation readiness.
Policy Evaluation and Reporting
Policy Evaluation and Reporting
EVALUATION & REPORTING
E1
WETLAND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM – WORKING ARTICULATION
Research and innovation
Research and innovation
KNOWLEDGE & INFORMATION
Data Acquisition and improvement
Data Acquisition and improvement
Data ManagementData Management
K1 K2
K3
Wetland Restoration
Wetland Restoration
Mitigation Agent
Mitigation Agent
RESTORATIVE REPLACEMENT
R1R2
Wetland Enhancement
Wetland Enhancement
Wetland Construction
Wetland Construction
R1
R3
R4
Offset accountingOffset accounting
ENFORCEMENT & COMPLIANCE
C2
Physical wetlandPhysical wetland
C1
QWSPQWSP
On-ground Relative Wetland
Value Assessment
s
On-ground Relative Wetland
Value Assessment
sO1
O2
ON
-GR
OU
ND
A
SS
ES
SM
EN
T
Voluntary stewardship
Voluntary stewardship
STEWARDSHIP
Regulatory requirements for
stewardship
Regulatory requirements for
stewardship
S2
S1
M5
Wetland ApprovalWetland Approval
Water Act/Public Lands Act approval
application
Water Act/Public Lands Act approval
application
Avoid, Minimize, Replace
Avoid, Minimize, Replace
ReplaceReplace
MinimizeMinimize
Permittee replacement
Permittee replacementIn lieu fee paymentIn lieu fee payment
Offset Program
Requirements
Offset Program
Requirements
Authorization decision process
Authorization decision process
AvoidAvoid
APPROVALS
A1A2
A3
A4
A7
A6
A5
A9A10
A8
Financial fund(s)Financial fund(s)
Non-Restorative
Non-Restorative RestorativeRestorativeAllocationAllocation
FINANCIAL
F3
F1
F2 F4
Ambient monitoring
Ambient monitoring
RestorativeRestorative
MONITORING
M1
FinancialFinancial
M2
Non-RestorativeNon-Restorative
M3
Mitigation compliance
Mitigation compliance
M4
Relative Wetland Value Map (RWVM)
Relative Wetland Value Map (RWVM)
PLANNING
Landscape-level
Wetland Management Objectives
Landscape-level
Wetland Management ObjectivesP2
Provincial Land-Use Planning
Processes
Provincial Land-Use Planning
Processes
P1
P5
Mechanisms to translate
into operational decisions
Mechanisms to translate
into operational decisionsP10
Informs municipal and non- Water Act/Public Lands
Act decision processes
Informs municipal and non- Water Act/Public Lands
Act decision processes
P11
How do landscape
-level objectives become
operational?
P3
Wetland Inventory
Wetland Inventory
P6
Restoration Inventory
Restoration Inventory
P7
Conservation Priorities Inventory
Conservation Priorities InventoryP8
Relative weighting
at landscape informed
by distribution
and abundanc
e
P9
Remote Relative Wetland
Value Assessment
s
Remote Relative Wetland
Value Assessment
sP4
All other attribute information (including other objective-setting
such as muni)
All other attribute information (including other objective-setting
such as muni)P12
Planning
• Strategic Governance (integration and alignment) – collaborative
• Provincial Wetland Inventory (continuous improvement)• Relative Wetland Value Map (remote-based)• Restoration/Conservation inventory and hierarchy• Research Agenda• Web Portal• Abundance Modifier – Historical Loss
Regulatory Approvals
• Operational Guidance Manual for Wetland Mitigation– BMP, SOP, COP, FGR alignment, integration– Wetland classification (AWCS), delineation protocol– Decision frameworks for avoid/minimize/
replace and replacement allocation– Restoration hierarchy (collaborative)
• One-Window Approach for development applications– Water Act and Public Lands Act– Consideration for requirements under Fish and Wildlife Act,
Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act
Wetland Assessment
• On-site relative wetland value assessment tool:– Alberta Wetland Rapid Evaluation Tool (ABWRET)– Stratified sampling approach
• Qualified Wetland Science Practitioner– Qualifications, Competencies – Certification System
• ABWRET, Wetland Assessment Impact Report, wetland delineation, as appropriate
– Possibly in conjunction with professional organizations inthe Province:• Biologists, Agrologists, Foresters, Geoscientists, Engineers
Financial System
• Financial Structure (funding mechanism)– External, Land Stewardship Fund, or enhanced existing
• Cost of in lieu fee payment• Integration of Water Act and Public Lands Act
requirements around wetland replacement– Class IV and V wetlands (permanent)
• Conservation Offsets– Wetland Offsets as the model program under the CO Framework– Working with the Alberta Association for Conservation Offsets
Wetland Replacement
• Technical guidelines and criteria:– Restoration, Enhancement, Securement, Construction– Collaborative
• Wetland Mitigation Agents:– Qualifications, Certification, Registration– Collaborative
• Data system for tracking of replacement activities:– Restorative (restore, enhance, construct)– Non-Restorative (Science, Education)
Enforcement, Compliance,and Monitoring
• Avoid, Minimize, Replace – compliance, enforcement• Offset Tracking• Data and Auditing Systems• Wetland monitoring, evaluation, reporting (replacement
and ambient)• Monitoring Frameworks for:
– Wetland replacement– Financial allocation– Unapproved loss– Policy monitoring
• Wetland value and Wetland Policy education programs (in conjunction with partners)
• Wetland Stewardship Program– Incentives, recognition programs
• Wetland stewardship education• Wetland database and reporting tool.
– Performance measurement and reporting:• development of performance metrics
– Management objectives through regional planning processes (conservation areas, priority restoration areas, etc.).
Evaluation, Reporting,& Stewardship
Next Steps
• White Area implementation – August 2014:– Key policy components to fully enable the work of approval
writers; may not fully encompass all aspects of the management system.
– Targeted stakeholder engagement on key policy components.
• Green Area implementation – August 2015:– Ongoing work to address nuances of peatland management and
regulatory approvals processes, as they pertain to Crown Lands.– Additional stakeholder engagement on key policy components.
• Continuous improvement
