Alberta's New Wetland Policy

Alberta's New Wetland Policy, to be introduced sometime during 2009, outlines a number of strategies for mitigating and managing human impacts to wetlands, based on the Alberta Water Council's Recommendations for a New Wetland Policy. This policy will replace the 1993 Wetland Management in the Settled Area - An Interim Policy and Beyond Prairie Potholes - A Draft Policy for Managing Alberta's Peatland and Non-Settled Area Wetlands, and provides a comprehensive policy for the entire province, including both the White and Green Areas.

The goal of the forthcoming Alberta Wetland 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 watershed that provide safe and secure drinking water supplies, healthy aquatic ecosystems, and reliable, quality water supplies for a sustainable economy. In recognition of the high rates of wetland loss in some watersheds, this policy also encourages Albertans to be proactive in increasing wetland area.

The five main strategic directions outlined by the Alberta Wetland Policy, and their intended outcomes, are:

1. Management of impacts to wetlands, using the Wetland Mitigation Decision Framework
   • OUTCOME 1: The Wetland Mitigation Decision Framework will be used where development affects wetlands to ensure the maintenance of ecological, social, and economic benefits to Albertans.
2. Proactive integration of wetland management by incorporating policy into a multi-scale, multi-stakeholder planning process
   • OUTCOME 2: Wetland objectives will be developed and implemented through watershed and land-ude planning processes across Alberta.
   • OUTCOME 3: The Alberta Wetland Policy will be integrated into the legislation, policies, a planning, and programs of the Government of Alberta and its partners.
3. Encouragement of voluntary stewardship
   • OUTCOME 4: Albertans will be aware of and value the functions and benefits provided by wetlands.
   • OUTCOME 5: Appropriate tools and incentives to promote wetland protection, conservation, and restoration will be available, and disincentives will be removed.
4. Building of knowledge, tools, and capacity for wetland conservation, research, and education
   • OUTCOME 6: Albertans will have the information, tools, and programs necessary to effectively protect, conserve, and restore wetlands.
5. Protection of wetlands of extraordinary value
   • OUTCOME 7: The process and tools will be in place for the protection of wetlands that area exceptional at a local, regional, provincial, national, or international scale