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
Working with Nature
Working with Nature
Harnessing the power of natural infrastructure to increase municipalities’ flood and drought resiliency
The Issue / Idea
Every municipality has “natural infrastructure,” but what is it, where is it, and how does it relate to flood and drought risk?
The Project
The Working With Nature toolkit was created to help municipalities catalogue their natural infrastructure, and then develop a prioritized plan for better using it to mitigate flood and drought risk. A Primer document was developed to provide a starting point for municipalities to understand the type of information, data, and programs available to inform and support flood and drought mitigation planning.
This free toolkit provides the materials and directions for a municipality to self-navigate through workshops, worksheets, and ultimately a living Workbook. In the process, a municipality will address Goals and Principles, Risks and Hazards, Natural Infrastructure, Actions, and Policy Development.
Working with Nature Toolkit Website
Working with Nature Webinar Slide Deck
Municipal Flood and Drought Action Planning Primer
Adapting to Flooding: An Adapt-action Summary Report
Adapting to Water Scarcity: An Adapt-action Summary Report
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Miistakis Institute
Status
Project was completed in
2019
Supporters
Government of Alberta’s Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program
Town of Cochrane
Urban Ecoroofs
Urban Ecoroofs
Exploring the impacts ecoroofs may have on climate change resilience in Alberta municipalities
The Issue / Idea
What impacts can ecoroofs have on climate change resilience in Alberta municipalities?
The Project
As cities develop, vegetation is typically replaced with non-permeable, non-vegetated surfaces. Ecoroofs are one way to provide some of the lost ecosystem services in urban centres including improved stormwater management (both quantity and quality), better regulation of building temperatures, reduced urban heat island effects, improved air quality, and increased urban wildlife habitat and biodiversity (Oberndorfer et al., 2007). Some jurisdictions refer to ecoroofs as a ‘no-regrets’ climate adaptation measure (Mees, Driessen, Runhaar, & Stamatelos, 2013) because they serve multiple societal goals.
Between 2017 and 2019, the Miistakis Institute partnered with the City of Edmonton, Environmental Strategies team to explore the impacts ecoroofs may have on climate change resilience in the city.
Ecoroof Guide for Municipalities
Ecoroof Fact Sheet
Edmonton Ecoroof Initiative for Climate Change Resiliency: Ecoroof Function Research
Jurisdictional Review
Edmonton Ecoroof Case Studies
Edmonton Ecoroof Website
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Miistakis Institute
City of Edmonton, Environmental Strategies
Status
This project was
completed in 2019
Supporters
City of Edmonton
Alberta Ecotrust Foundation
Edmonton Community Foundation
Federation of Canadian Municipalities
Putting Beavers to Work for Watershed Resiliency and Restoration
Putting Beavers to Work for Watershed Resiliency and Restoration
A collaborative multi-year project that is focused on facilitating coexistence with beavers so their benefits as a watershed resiliency and restoration tool are realized.
The Issue / Idea
How can municipalities coexist with beavers for their watershed benefits?
The Project
Beavers, Canada’s national animal, provide many valuable ecosystem services including storage of water during droughts and flooding, creation of habitat for a variety of species, and improvement of water quality. These benefits allow for the increased watershed resiliency and restoration across the landscape. Land owners, including municipalities, can come into conflict with beavers as they can cause damage by flooding roads, plugging culverts or taking down prized trees, which can result in the removal of beavers from the landscape.
This project is a partnership between the Miistakis Institute and Cows and Fish Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society and aims to increase the coexistence of humans and beavers. By engaging with land owners and land managers this project strives to decrease conflict with beavers, foster social tolerance, and heighten understanding of the benefits that beavers provide us and the ecosystem as a whole. The project aims to achieve these goals by researching new coexistence tools, hosting hands-on coexistence workshops, and creating information materials and videos to increase awareness.
Below is a selection of resources specific to municipalities.
Webinar: Understanding Beavers as a Natural Infrastructure Solution
Slide Deck: Understanding Beavers as a Natural Infrastructure Solution
Beaver Coexistence Tools
Cost Benefit Analysis of Beaver Coexistence Tools
Putting Beavers to Work Website
Coexisting with Beavers Part 1: Municipal District of Foothills
Organization
These assessments were undertaken by
The Miistakis Institute
Cows and Fish – Alberta Riparian Habitat Management Society
Status
Began in 2012
2012 – on-going
Supporters
Alberta Environment and Parks’ Watershed Resiliency and Restoration Program (WRRP)
The Calgary Foundation
Alberta Ecotrust Foundation
Municipal EcoToolkit: Tools for Maintaining your Natural Systems
Municipal EcoToolkit: Tools for Maintaining your Natural Systems
A resource for Alberta municipalities seeking to maintain their natural infrastructure systems
The Issue / Idea
How can a municipality maintain their natural infrastructure?
The Project
The Municipal EcoToolkit was created by the Miistakis Institute as a resource for Alberta municipalities seeking to maintain their natural infrastructure systems. It is not intended to be a prescriptive statement on what must be done. It is intended to help generate awareness, creativity, collaboration, and questions, and assist those people doing the challenging work of maintaining our natural systems.
To make this toolkit, we focused in such things as law/bylaws, policy directives, inventories or datasets, protective designations, maps, management constraints, proactive strategies, staff positions, guidelines, legal designations, education/communication resources, workshops, case studies, financial analyses, technologies, restorative actions, etc., etc. ..!
Municipal EcoToolkit Website
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Miistakis Institute
Status
This research was completed in
2020
Supporters
Alberta Innovates
Environmental Law Centre
Alberta Low Impact Development Partnership
Climate Resilience for Local Communities
Climate Resilience for Local Communities
The Adapt-action Web Tool
The Issue / Idea
How do municipalities adapt to a changing climate? How can they become more climate resilient?
The Project
After extensive research to determine the best way to help municipalities, the Adapt-action tool was created – a web-based decision-support tool for municipalities seeking guidance in taking action regarding climate change adaptation.
Adapt-action guides you through the climate change issues of adapting to water scarcity and adapting to flooding. Each is outlined from the environmental changes you will see, to the implications for your community, through to the strategies you can employ to adapt and become more climate resilient.
As you navigate through each issue narrative, you will be able to view and collect information about: predicted climate change impacts and their effects; implications of these impacts on agriculture, health, recreation, infrastructure and biodiversity in your community; and what your municipality can do to prepare and adapt to these expected changes.
The research and tool development were undertaken as part of ABMI’s Biodiversity Management and Climate Change Adaptation project
Adapt-action Web Site
Adapt-action Overview
Research Reports – Year 1
Research Reports – Year 2
Research Reports – Year 3
(Did we miss something important? Let us know!)
Organization
This project was undertaken by
Status
This was a multi-pronged research project begun in 2012, culminating in the release of Adapt-action in
April 2014
Supporters
ABMI Biodiversity Management and Climate Change Adaptation Project
Municipal Management of Water Bodies
Municipal Management of Water Bodies
Part 2 of the Municipalities and Environmental Law Series
The Issue / Idea
Municipalities need to better understand what authority they have to regulate the water bodies within their boundaries.
The Project
Alberta’s water bodies are a precious resource, and their regulation and proper management is essential for, among other things, safe drinking water, healthy aquatic ecosystems, and watershed resiliency. This second publication in the Environmental Law Centre’s Municipalities and Environmental Law Series explores when and how municipalities can regulate the water bodies within their boundaries.
Report: Municipal Management of Water Bodies
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Environmental Law Centre
Status
Development of this publication began with the Municipalities and Environmental Law information series in Fall of 2016, and was completed in
April 2018
Supporters
Max Bell Foundation
Anonymous Foundation
How Municipalities Apply Environmental Reserve in Alberta
How Municipalities Apply Environmental Reserve in Alberta: A White Paper
A discussion paper to inform municipal planners on how environmental reserve is applied in Alberta and observations on the implications of the new Conservation Reserve tool to ER
The Issue / Idea
How has environmental reserve been interpreted and applied in Alberta? And, did this change with the new conservation reserve tool enabled under the Municipal Government Act?
The Project
To respond to the issue, the Miistakis Institute distributed a survey to understand the municipal application of environmental reserve. The survey was distributed through APPI, AUMA and AAMDC.
Using the outcomes of the survey as a starting point, a discussion paper was developed to provide context for environmental reserve, what the intent is in the MGA, and comments on how it is interpreted and used by municipalities. The paper concludes with a comparison of the previous MGA and the modernized MGA environmental reserve policies, and observations on how the new conservation reserve tool may affect environmental reserve application by municipalities.
Environmental Reserve in Alberta: Discussion Paper
Conservation Reserve Resources
Organization
This project was undertaken by
The Miistakis Institute
Status
This research began in Fall 2016 and was completed in
October 2017
Supporters
Max Bell Foundation
Anonymous Foundation