Transcript Wetland Policy - College of Alberta Professional Foresters

Alberta Wetland Policy:
A Shift in Values
Thorsten Hebben
Policy Division, ESRD
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development
2013
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.
What is a Wetland?
Bog
Marsh
Fen
Swamp
Shallow Open Water
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.
Biodiversity
Flood Reduction
Human Value
Abundance
Water Quality
Improvement
Wetland Value Categories
Increasing Wetland Value
Wetland Value Criteria
High (A)
Moderate (B)
Moderately Low (C)
Low (D)
Relative Value Assessment Units
Mitigation System
Avoid
Minimize
Replace
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.
Wetland Replacement
• Wetland reclamation commitments, as established
through reclamation plans, will help inform the
determination of replacement requirements.
• Replacement will consider both restorative and nonrestorative 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 Lost Wetland
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
*Ratios are expressed as hectares of wetland
Policy
Implementation
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.
WETLAND MANAGEMENT SYSTEM – WORKING ARTICULATION
PLANNING
KNOWLEDGE &
INFORMATION
Provincial LandUse Planning
Processes
Research and
innovation
P6
S1
Landscapelevel
Wetland
Manageme
nt
Objectives
Wetland
Enhancement
Mitigation
Agent
R2
FINANCIAL
R3
R1
Conservatio
n Priorities
Inventory
All other attribute
information (including
other objective-setting
such as muni)
P12
NonRestorative
Wetland
Construction
Restorative
Allocation
F2
F3
R4
F4
MONITORING
Financial fund(s)
How do
landscape
-level
objectives
become
operationa
l?
F1
Financial
O2
M5
QWSP
Permittee
replacement
In lieu fee payment
P10
Mechanism
s to
translate
into
operational
decisions
O1
Restorative
A9
A10
On-ground
Relative
Wetland
Value
Assessment
s
Non-Restorative
M1
M3
Offset
Program
Requireme
nts
Mitigation
compliance
A8
M4
Water Act/Public
Lands Act approval
A1 application
Ambient
monitoring
M2
P5
Informs municipal
and non- Water
Act/Public Lands
Act decision
processes
R1
K3
P7
P8
P3
P11
Wetland
Restoration
Data Management
Restoration
Inventory
Relative
Wetland Value
Map (RWVM)
Remote
Relative
Wetland
Value
Assessment
s
RESTORATIVE
REPLACEMENT
Data Acquisition
and improvement
K2
Regulatory
requirements for
stewardship
S2
P2
P4
K1
Voluntary
stewardship
Wetland
Inventory
ON-GROUND
ASSESSMENT
P9
STEWARDSHIP
P1
Relative
weighting
at
landscape
informed
by
distribution
and
abundanc
e
Authorization
decision process
E1
EVALUATION &
REPORTING
Replace
A2
Policy Evaluation
and Reporting
A7
Wetland Approval
A3
A4
Avoid,
Minimize,
Replace
Minimize
A6
Offset accounting
C2
Avoid
APPROVALS
A5
Physical wetland
C1
ENFORCEMENT &
COMPLIANCE
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 in
the 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
Evaluation, Reporting,
& Stewardship
• 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.).
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
Questions?
Photo Credit: Clayton Spytz