Alberta Wetland Policy (2013)
The Government of Alberta released the Wetland Policy on September 11, 2013. The policy was implemented on September 1, 2014 and Alberta ESRD will sequentially introduce directions, guides, and tools to enable White Area implementations from September – May 2014. The Implementation of the Green Area was released July 4, 2016. The goal of the policy is to maintain wetland areas in Alberta such that the ecological, social, and economic benefits that wetlands provide are maintained, thereby helping to ensure that Albertans have healthy watersheds that provide safe and secure drinking water supplies and healthy aquatic ecosystems.
Under the policy, Authenticating Professionals (AP) will take the place of Qualified Wetland Aquatic Environmental Specialists (QWAES’s). A certified AP will use the Alberta Wetland Rapid Evaluation Tool (ABWRET) to assign relative values to wetlands and assess and delineate wetlands according to the Alberta Wetland Classification System. Additionally, an AP will be required to complete Wetland Assessment and Impact Reports (WAIR).
For more details on the Alberta Wetland Policy visit the Alberta Wetland Policy section of this website or view the policy by clicking on the picture above.
new Alberta Wetland Policy implementation
To carry out wetland replacement projects in Alberta, replacement fees were once paid to a third-party delivery agent. As of December 1, 2018, these funds are directly paid to the Government of Alberta (GoA). These changes have come about to fulfill several goals:
To have adequate resources to fund wetland replacement projects across a broader geographic scale across Alberta
Places greater culpability on Authenticating Professionals (AP) to ensure wetland replacement projects are successful
Allows the GoA to monitor the state of restored and constructed wetlands
Allows the GoA to evaluate whether or not the Alberta’s Wetland Policy’s goals are being fulfilled.
For more information on the Alberta Wetland Policy Implementation click here.
For more details on how to become a wetland delivery agent email info@aquality.ca.