The forested areas on lands are often overlooked for their values by many, but these forests and other treed areas often extremely valuable, holding values both in their ability to be sold as a product and through natural functions that trees can provide while living. This document seeks to introduce you to major values and to help realize the potential that is in these areas. 

Agricultural lands support numerous social, economic, and environmental benefits. In addition to making up an invaluable aspect of Alberta’s heritage and culture, the social benefits of agricultural lands include food security and valued viewscapes. In terms of economic benefits, agricultural lands enable significant contributions to employment and GDP. 

This report is the first of two reports which aim to answer how to move from conversion to conservation of Alberta’s agricultural lands. 

The Sensitive Habitat Inventory Mapping (SHIM) project for Lac La Biche was initiated in 2016 to respond to community concerns expressed by the Stewards of the Lac La Biche Watershed, over the health of the lake. This project characterizes the physical and biological features of the lake’s foreshore so that sensitive areas can be identified and subsequently protected during shoreline development. The SHIM methodology was developed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in British Columbia, and while it has been successfully incorporated into land use planning for several lakes there, the Lac La Biche SHIM project will be the first example of its use elsewhere in Canada.

Lac La Biche is a large lake situated in the Boreal Mixedwood Ecoregion of northeastern Alberta. It has numerous bays and rocky offshore islands, as well as wide areas of shallow littoral habitat characterized by extensive submerged and emergent vegetation. The lake provides important habitat for many fish species, as well as colonial and migratory waterbirds and aquatic mammals. It supports sport and domestic fisheries and is a popular recreational destination for swimming, boating, fishing, hiking, and nature appreciation.

In recent years, Lac La Biche has experienced declines in water quality and fish populations, leading to widespread blue-green algal blooms and fishery closures. The Sensitive Habitat Inventory Mapping (SHIM) project for Lac La Biche was initiated in 2016 to respond to community concerns over the health of the lake. This project characterizes the physical and biological features of the lake’s foreshore so that sensitive areas can be identified and subsequently protected during shoreline development. While this method has been applied to several lakes in British Columbia and successfully incorporated into land-use planning there, the Lac La Biche SHIM project, once completed, will be the first example of its use elsewhere in Canada.

The Newtonian Shift is a facilitated role-playing simulation that allows players to experience decades of energy transition in one day. It features dynamic and fast-paced experiential learning that puts participants in a diverse set of roles: energy producer, private customer, large energy consumer, First Nations, suppliers, grid operator, investors, and government.

The Alberta Narratives Project Report I and Report II are intended to provide practical guidance for climate and energy communicators about what language works well and – crucially – what language might pose an obstacle for communicating with any specific group.

Report I, Communicating Climate Change and Energy in Alberta is concerned with finding the language that works best across Albertan society by helping to find common ground across very different positions. This generates a core narrative that can be applied for general public engagement.

Report II, Communicating Climate Change and Energy with Different Audiences in Alberta offers tailored language that can be the basis of effective communications with each of the following groups: oil sands workers, conservatives, environmentalists, rural Albertans, business leaders, youth, new Canadians and people of faith.

These are guidebooks, not rulebooks. Skilled communications should always listen to their audiences, and experiment with new and fresh ways of speaking.

Founded in 2006, in the spirit of the Water for Life strategy, the Alberta WaterPortal provides inclusive research, community engagement, and educational activities to improve the public’s understanding of the importance of water in Alberta, as well as providing Albertans with the knowledge needed to make better water management decisions.

Today’s water challenges and opportunities clearly cross many different jurisdictions, stakeholders and communities. Addressing the protection, allocation and management of our water resources and water systems requires creative mechanisms for dialogue and networking, as well as coordinated efforts to explore and share data and experiences among water users, managers, and researchers.

A conservation easement is a voluntary agreement between a landowner and a qualified organization (such as the Legacy Land Trust Society) which limits the amount and type of development that can occur on a property in order to preserve its natural character and agricultural potential.

When a landowner takes on a conservation easement there are associated financial benefits that can help landowners pass their property on to heirs or to new owners as a viable agricultural unit or a natural landscape.

Although conservation easements have been used in Alberta since 1996, many people are still unfamiliar with them. They are a flexible tool that help to meet landowner and land trust needs, but can also be quite complex. This booklet is not a replacement for the expert advice you need related to your individual situation – talk to your lawyer, your tax advisor, and your estate planner about what a conservation easement can mean for you.

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) is a joint Canada-U.S. not-for-profit organization that connects and protects habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon so people and nature can thrive. They are the only organization dedicated to securing the long-term ecological health of this entire region.
There are many conservation initiatives underway in this vast region. One such initiative is to look at the establishment of a park or protected area in the area known as “The Bighorn”. This area is made up of many uses, including industrial (coal, logging), parks, wilderness areas and crown land. It’s an extremely important area for many reasons; habitat for grizzly bears and other large mammals and it is also part of the headwaters for the North Saskatchewan River –Edmonton’s main drinking water supply.
Y2Y contracted NRG Research Group and the Praxis Group to undertake a poll to gauge opinions and attitudes toward the establishment of a park in this area. Although Y2Y has no actual jurisdiction for park establishment, the information is being gathered to help decision-makers understand how the various options might play out.

This project was catalyzed by Operation Grassland Community, with a focus on building a dynamic simulator that could track cattle dynamics and explore alternative cattle production strategies in Alberta against a range of economic, social, and environmental factors. This report is a written summary that accompanies the Alberta Livestock Alces Online (ALAO) simulator (www.online.alces).

The land that drains into the Battle River and Sounding Creek- these watersheds- provide a backdrop for the unfolding lives lived full of courage and tragedy, heroism and heartbreak. Over time, this landscape has witnessed the retreat of glaciers, Indigenous peoples and great herds of bison, the arrival of the Fur Trade and European settlers, the ploughing of fields, and the creation of modern cities. This book tells these stories, and many more.

Format: full hard copy available at AREF’s office

This report sets forth the plan, promotion, and implementation of a private land conservation agenda for the Bow Valley that will contribute to continentally significant outcomes for biodiversity protection, consequently sustaining the real estate property market over time.

The Alberta Land Trust Alliance (ALTA) is a not-for-profit organization that strives to ensure Alberta’s future landscapes are rich in biodiversity and have strong ecological integrity. The Foundation funded a series of factsheets on private land conservation in Alberta and the services offered by land trusts. Hard copy available in the AREF office.

As one of the fastest growing municipalities in Canada, Rocky View embarked on a Growth Management Strategy in order to facilitate sound land use and development decisions regarding community sustainability, resource management and the environment.

‘Conservation easements’ have been gaining popularity since their introduction in the province in 1996. This publication can help property owners understand more about one of the land conservation possibilities available to them.

A booklet created for private landowners by the Alberta Region of the Nature Conservancy of Canada outlining the various tools that are available for private land conservation; ways for individuals to protect their rural communities and the stunning landscapes that surround them. This resource is available in hard copy format in the AREF office.