Environmental Reserves and Environmental Reserve Easements
Environmental Reserves and Environmental Reserve Easements
A discussion of regulatory context and application
The Issue / Idea
Environmental Reserves and Environmental Reserve Easements are regulatory tools used during subdivision for various environmental and safety purposes. How the legislation is framed and interpreted by municipalities will direct how ER and ERE are used.
The Project
Alberta’s Municipal Government Act sets out a variety of powers for municipalities to safely and sustainably plan and develop land. Among these is the power to reserve lands. This report takes an in-depth look at one such reserve, the Environmental Reserve (ER), along with its counterpart the Environmental Reserve Easement (ERE).
An ER is land that is transferred from the landowner to the municipality in the subdivision process, for one or more applicable reasons. An ERE is another form of ER that gives an interest in the land to the municipality while permitting ownership to stay with the landowner. Both ER and ERE are important planning tools that can help municipalities “foster the well-being of the environment” by preserving natural features of land and preventing water pollution, as well as permit public access to water bodies and prevent development in unsafe or unstable areas. This report aims to promote the effective use of ER and ERE by explaining when they apply, how they are implemented and how they are enforced.
Report: Municipal Management of Industrial Development
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Environmental Law Centre
Status
Completed in
April 2021
Supporters
Max Bell Foundation
Anonymous Foundation
Ecological Connectivity – Modelling, Planning and Municipalities
Ecological Connectivity – Modelling, Planning and Municipalities
Three guides to help to clear some of the cloudiness around ecological connectivity and municipal planning
The Issue / Idea
Municipalities face challenges in finding practical guidance for integrating ecological connectivity into the structures and practical realities of municipal planning.
The Project
Every municipal planning department in the Calgary region has faced the challenge of addressing ecological connectivity.
It can start from a variety of directions – open house feedback, a councilor request, a regional planning requirement, etc. It can carry many labels: wildlife corridors, linkage zones, structural and functional connectivity. However, two things are common to all of these cases. First, it is always based on the notion that species need to move to stay healthy and viable. Second, what a municipal planner can or should do about this is not clear.
As part of the Calgary Regional Partnership’s Ecological Conservation and Protection Initiative, Miistakis created three guides to help to clear some of the cloudiness around ecological connectivity and municipal planning.
As well as supporting municipal planners, these guides are intended to help those working with planners or who are affected by municipal plans. Understanding the way ecological connectivity is viewed through the lens of municipal planning will help others (including municipal councilors, wildlife biologists, conservation groups, land developers and builders) better understand the decisions and options that emerge in the planning realm.
Planning to Connect: A guide to provide clarity on what ecological connectivity might mean for a municipality, which plans and policies to target, and how. It also includes a searchable catalogue of example clauses from other jurisdictions and a document library of sample plans, reports, strategies, and cases from which to learn
Pulling the Levers: A Guide to Modelling and Mapping Ecological Connectivity outlines how the science can be used to give municipalities map-based illustrations of ecological connectivity.
Connecting the Dots: A Guide to Using Ecological Connectivity Modeling in Municipal Planning outlines how planners can acquire and use that information to address planning questions, working in partnership with their GIS staff or consultants.
Planning to Connect: A Guide to Incorporating Ecological Connectivity into Municipal Planning
Policy Clause Catalogue
Pulling the Levers: A Guide to Modelling and Mapping Ecological Connectivity
Connecting the Dots: A Guide to Using Ecological Connectivity Modeling in Municipal Planning
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Miistakis Institute
Status
Completed in
2019
Supporters
Woodcock Foundation
Distributed GIS for Calgary Region Municipalities
Distributed GIS for Calgary Region Municipalities
Providing support for the Calgary Regional Partnerships’ Regional Metadata Guidelines
The Issue / Idea
How can municipalities in the Calgary Region effectively share and use GIS data?
The Project
In 2009, the Miistakis Institute began supporting the Calgary Regional Partnerships’ development of Regional Metadata Guidelines for GIS data management (Regional GIS or RGIS) to support planning within the Calgary region. The project’s objectives were to:
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- Create mechanism for cataloguing, exchanging spatial data
- Support and facilitate other CRP initiatives
- Promote standards & best practices among CRP GIS Community
Throughout the project, Miistakis was involved in all technical meetings, developed a Metadata Best Practices Guide and developed a variety of other technical tools and templates that allow for data sharing between municipalities.
Metadata Best Practices Guide
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Miistakis Institute
Status
Completed in
2011
Supporters
Calgary Regional Partnership
Cost of Community Services
Cost of Community Services
How many dollars of revenue does a municipality get for every dollar of service expenditure for different types of land use? The Cost of Community Services (COCS) methodology assesses this.
The Issue / Idea
Because different land use types generate vastly different revenues, it can be difficult to know which if any one of them ‘pays for itself’ relative to the costs it incurs for the municipality.
The Project
The Miistakis Institute explored this question by undertaking a “Cost of Community Services Study” for Red Deer County. After a detailed review of background documents and financial records, and extensive interviewing of all Red Deer County Managers and Directors, Red Deer County’s audited financials for a single year were re-allocated based on land use. Expenditures and revenues were divided between four land use categories (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, and Agricultural) and the results were used to create revenue/cost ratios.
The intent of this study is to support the development of land use planning approaches which best serve the community. Red Deer County can use this study with other information to maintain a healthy balance of land uses for the County. At the policy level, the study can assist in the development of a vision for the community; at the operational level, it can help assess whether resource allocations match policy priorities.
The Fiscal Implications of Land Use: A “Cost of Community Services” Study for Red Deer County: Main Report
The Fiscal Implications of Land Use: A “Cost of Community Services” Study for Red Deer County: Report 3: Methodology
The Fiscal Implications of Land Use: A “Cost of Community Services” Study for Red Deer County: Report 4: A Comparative Analysis of the Red Deer County COCS Study and Previous COCS Studies
The Fiscal Implications of Land Use: A “Cost of Community Services” Study for Red Deer County: Report 5: Detailed Data
The Fiscal Implications of Land Use: A “Cost of Community Services” Study for Red Deer County: Appendices
Report on the “Cost of Community Services” Multi-Municipality Workshop
Presentation Slide Deck: “Cost of Community Services” studies: What are they?
The Fiscal Implications of Land Use in a Rural Municipality
Organization
This project was undertaken by
Miistakis Institute
Status
Completed in
2007
Supporters
Alberta Real Estate Foundation
Red Deer County
Municipal Land Use Suitability Tool (MLUST)
Municipal Land Use Suitability Tool (MLUST)
A project to help municipalities identify where renewable energy (and other land uses) is most suitable in consideration of high valued
agricultural, ecological, and cultural lands
The Issue / Idea
How do municipalities balance development considerations with high value agricultural, ecological, and cultural lands?
The Project
When municipal governments consider industrial scale solar or wind energy development, it immediately becomes clear that not everywhere is suitable for those activities, and not everywhere is unsuitable. For some areas it is a clear-cut ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but most areas sit somewhere on a continuum between those two extremes.
The Miistakis Institute and the Oldman River Regional Services Commission (ORRSC) developed the Municipal Land Use Suitability Tool (MLUST) to assist the municipalities in identifying where renewable energy development is most suitable in consideration of high valued agricultural, ecological and cultural lands.
The MLUST process has been conducted for the Municipal District of Pincher Creek and the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass. For each municipality, the process took six months to complete and engaged municipal stakeholders, made use of existing spatial datasets, and produced a series of map products to inform planning at the municipal scale.
MLUST engaged the municipal council and staff to identify features they valued on the landscape. Each feature was scored by stakeholders to determine each features conflict with wind and solar energy development. The most suitable areas for renewable energy development coincided with low probable conflict rating of other land uses. Renewable energy development suitability areas were also informed by removing No-Go Areas based on provincial, municipal and organizational regulations and Non-Development Areas based on existing settlement and Infrastructure.
The MLUST process can be adapted to determine the most suitable lands for any type of land use, not just renewable energy.
Prior to the development of the MLUST process, a similar process was used with Wheatland County and the County of Newell called the Least Conflict Lands. This process was later refined to create the MLUST process.
Municipal Land Use Suitability Tool (MLUST) for Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
Executive Summary: Municipal Land Use Suitability Tool (MLUST) for Municipal District of Pincher Creek
Municipal Land Use Suitability Tool (MLUST) for Municipal District of Pincher Creek
Executive Summary: Least Conflict Lands: Municipal Decision Support Tool for Siting Renewable Energy Development
Least Conflict Lands: Municipal Decision Support Tool for Siting Renewable Energy Development
Organization
This project was undertaken by
Miistakis Institute
Oldman River Regional Services Commission
M.D. of Pincher Creek
Wheatland County
County of Newell
Status
MLUST Crowsnest Pass Completed in
2021
MLUST Pincher Creek Completed in
2020
Least Conflict Lands Completed in
2018
Supporters
Energy Efficiency Alberta
Rural Municipalities of Alberta
The INTACT Foundation
Energy Efficiency Alberta’s Community Energy Capacity Building Program
Wheatland County
County of Newell
Modelling Developable Lands in a Municipality
Modelling Developable Lands in a Municipality
A Planning tool to inform discussions around future development proposals and conservation planning facing municipalities today
The Issue / Idea
Municipalities are faced with development pressure on a continuous basis. How do they balance development considerations with conservation priorities?
The Project
The Developable Lands Planning tool was created to inform discussion around future development proposals and conservation planning facing the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. The tool overlays a series of user-selected map layers, then models them against ‘development considerations’ and ‘conservation priorities.’ Adjustments were done in real time in a multi-stakeholder workshop environment to help participants understand the consequences of various development strategies.
Developable Lands Planning One Pager
Developable Lands Mapping Tool Final Report
Organization
This project was undertaken by
Miistakis Institute
Status
Completed in
2006
Supporters
Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
Nature Conservancy of Canada
Rural Community Economic Development Program through the Crowsnest Pass Business Development Corporation and the Western Economic Partnership Agreement
Call of the Wetland
Call of the Wetland
A citizen science amphibian monitoring project to understand the health of Calgary’s wetlands and to engage Calgarians in urban wildlife and wetland awareness
The Issue / Idea
How can municipalities learn about their urban wetlands’ health while engaging residents in wetland awareness?
The Project
To better understand the health of Calgary’s wetlands, Miistakis Institute, Enbridge, Parks Foundation Calgary, Alberta Conservation Association and the Calgary Zoo developed “Call of the Wetland”, a citizen science program that enabled the public to monitor amphibians as an important indicator of wetland health. There were 6 amphibian species that have historically been found in Calgary, however, prior to Call of the Wetland, it was unknown which still persist in our urban environment.
Call of the Wetland engaged Calgarians in understanding the health of wetlands through monitoring of amphibians and enabling a connection to nature in the City. The long term outcome of Call of the Wetland is to build off of the knowledge gained on amphibian presence to understand the health of wetlands within the City of Calgary, as well as to continue to foster a community of knowledgeable citizens to champion wetland protection and restoration.
Call of the Wetland Story Map
Call of the Wetland Participant Update: Program Reporting
Call of the Wetland Website
Amphibians at Risk: An analysis of wetland habitat and corridors needed to secure amphibian populations in Calgary
Amphibians At Risk In Calgary: Infographic
Organization
This project was undertaken by
Miistakis Institute
City of Calgary
Calgary Zoo
Alberta Conservation Association
Status
Completed in
2020
Supporters
Enbridge
Parks Foundation Calgary
The Calgary Foundation
Alberta Ecotrust Foundation
Alberta Innovates
TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
Bow River Basin Council
Mount Royal University
Mount Royal University, Institute of Environmental Sustainability
STAR EcoWorks
World Wildlife Fund Canada
Urban Wildlife Monitoring
Urban Wildlife Monitoring
A citizen science monitoring project to understand how wildlife responds to the urban environment, and to engage Calgarians in urban wildlife awareness
The Issue / Idea
How can municipalities learn about their urban wildlife populations while engaging residents in wildlife awareness?
The Project
Calgary Captured is a multi-year urban wildlife monitoring program that was launched in 2017 focused on medium to large mammals. Through citizen science, the program involved Calgarians in biodiversity monitoring through the classification of camera-trap images to species. The objectives of the program are to build a dataset of species presence in Calgary, engage Calgarians in urban wildlife awareness, and to improve our understanding of how wildlife responds to the urban environment.
Calgary Captured Year One Analysis: Technical Report
Calgary Captured Year Results
Calgary Captured Year One Results: Maps
I’m A Calgarian
(example of one of six wildlife awareness cards produced)
Calgary Captured Information Card
(example of one of five Calgary Captured awareness cards produced)
City of Calgary: Wildlife Camera Monitoring
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The City of Calgary
The Miistakis Institute
Alberta Environment and Parks
Friends of Fish Creek Provincial Park Society
Weaselhead/Glenmore Park Preservation Society
Status
Began in 2017 and is
On-going
Supporters
The Calgary Foundation
Alberta Ecotrust Foundation
TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
Water Survey – Wheatland County
Water Survey – Wheatland County
Water resources – perspectives of agricultural producers, a survey report
The Issue / Idea
How can municipalities better understand the perspective of agricultural producers regarding water resources?
The Project
Wheatland County, located in the grassland natural region of Alberta, has a diverse agricultural community. The county places a high value on conserving its natural capital and has developed extension programming focused on promoting and supporting best management practices within the agricultural community for maintaining and restoring water resources. To guide program development, educational outreach and policies relating to water resources, Wheatland County wishes to better understand the perspective of agricultural producers regarding water resources.
In order to understand the current knowledge, attitude, behaviour and needs of producers and acreage owners toward sustainable water management, Wheatland County requested the Miistakis Institute conduct a county-wide survey of agricultural producers.
A Survey of Public Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Water in Wheatland County (2009)
Wheatland County Water Resources – Perspectives of the Agricultural Producers (2015)
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Miistakis Institute
Status
Project was completed twice:
2009 and 2015
Supporters
Wheatland County
Urban Wetland Connectivity
Urban Wetland Connectivity
A project to help maintain amphibian diversity and increase amphibian abundance in the urban environment
The Issue / Idea
How can municipalities support urban amphibian populations?
The Project
The goal of this project was to provide information to The City of Calgary to help maintain amphibian diversity and increase amphibian abundance in the urban environment. Three amphibian species, wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus), boreal chorus frog (Pseudacris maculata) and tiger salamander (Ambystoma mavortium) currently make Calgary their home. Key concerns for amphibians in Calgary are the impacts of wetland loss, wetland degradation, and fragmentation of the wetland network. We sought to understand which wetlands support amphibians and where amphibians are moving between wetlands in Calgary.
The modelling products include habitat suitability indices, connectivity models, and centrality and barrier maps designed to inform planning, management and restoration of the wetland network to support amphibians in Calgary. For this project, natural wetlands, modified wetlands and stormwater ponds were all included in modelling and are referred to in this report generically as wetlands.
Amphibians at Risk: An analysis of wetland habitat and corridors needed to secure amphibian populations in Calgary
Amphibians At Risk In Calgary: Infographic
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Miistakis Institute
The City of Calgary
The Calgary Zoo
The University of Saskatchewan
Status
Completed in
July 2020
Supporters
Alberta Innovates