ALUS Alberta Municipal Alliance& ALUS Canada

The Alberta Common Ground Alliance and the Alberta Public Works Association,

Alberta’s New Wetlands Policy Red Deer, February 4, 2016

Daryl Watt, Reeve, County of Vermillion River

Lorraine Becker, Director Development, ALUS Canada lbecker@alus.ca

County of Vermillion River (CVR), ALUS Canadaand Wetlands

Presentation By Daryl Watt, ReeveCounty of Vermilion River

HISTORY

• 1990s/early 2000s: the area within CVR, NW of Lloydminster, experienced substantial development (industrial and rural residential)

HISTORY

• May 2006: Big Gully Stormwater Management Plan, Preliminary Wetland Assessment

• Recommended the development of:

– Wetland Inventory

– Wetland Conservation Plan

BIG GULLY STORMWATER MASTER PLAN

• December 2006: Recommended the development of:

– Guideline for information requirements for subdivisions, as related to natural wetlands and stormwater;

– A stakeholder steering committee including area landowners.

ALUS Canada

• 2007-8: Proposal developed to address recommendations from the 2 reports

• January 2009: MOU signed between CVR and Delta Waterfowl for 3-year Pilot Project

ALUS Canada

• Purpose: “to create healthy landscapes that sustain agriculture, wildlife and natural spaces for all Canadians.”

• ALUS Canada works with agricultural landowners to establish wetland, riparian and other ecological projects

ALUS Canada

• During 3-year pilot, ALUS program signed up about 20 landowners and 2000 acres

• ALUS is now a permanent program in CVR

Wetland Mitigation Agent

• April 2013: MOA signed with Province to become the first rural municipal Restoration Agency

• 5-year Pilot Project

Wetland Mitigation Agent

• Purpose: to collect compensation funds from lost wetlands

• And to use those funds to deliver wetland restoration projects on:

– County-owned land

– ALUS projects

– Drainage corridors

WETLAND MITIGATION AGENT

• To date CVR has collected compensation funds for approximately 76 hectares of lost wetlands

• 2015 saw the 1st

restoration project completed on County owned land

• 2nd project is underway on private land (ALUS)

G

R

O

W

T

H

SUSTAINABILITY

The ALUS Canada Program, the ALUS Alberta Municipal Alliance, & the Alberta Wetlands Policy

Presentation by Lorraine Becker, Director Development, Western CanadaALUS Canadalbecker@alus.ca

Outline:

• How does the ALUS Program work?

• What does the Municipal Alliance do?

• How does the Wetlands Policy fit in?

• Some thoughts on development

We ask ‘producers’ to

produce our food - but

what about producing

wildlife, clean water, and

a healthy environment?

It’s time we embrace the

stewardship ethic of the

very folks who care most

about the land…

Creating healthy ecosystem benefits

Creating healthy ecosystem benefits

$$$$

Partnership Advisory Committee ‘PAC’

ALUS Canada Community Flows

- Money to deliver a proven model- Proprietary Data Base, GIS, templates

etc.- Program Support - Connectivity- Project Delivery Manual (Cookbook)- Communications- Policy Development- Business Development- Research- Market Access

- Acres (Ecosystem Services)- Budgeting and target setting- Financial reporting- Recognition- PAC Engagement

ALUS Canada Principles

• Community-developed

• Farmer-delivered

• Targeted

• Market-driven

• Voluntary

• Integrated

• Accountable

• Science-based

It’s voluntary, and paid as you go…

ALUS Alberta Municipal Alliance: Provincial Alignment

New 2015:• Mountain View • Lac Ste. Anne

Potential near future:• Leduc• Wetaskiwin• Northern Sunrise• Brazeau• Lacombe• Wainwright• Flagstaff• Kneehill• Minburn• Warner

ALUS Canada and the Wetlands Policy

• Landowners bring projects

• Rental model

• No easements

Ideas to develop

• Partner with existing mitigation agents

• Keep mitigation dollars local

• Municipalities register as mitigation agents

• ALUS Canada supplies projects and implementation mechanisms

• Verification costs?