Environmental Cumulative Effects Management

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Environmental Cumulative Effects Management
Getting Serious about the Environmental
Challenges of our Time
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Presentation Overview

• Nature of the Challenge
• Nature of the Response
• Albertas experience to date
• Trans-boundary potential

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Pressures on Landscapes
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The Subdivision Phenomenon
Structures/Twp 1940 - 2002
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Water Supply
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Environmental Pressures on Albertas Landscapes

• rapid economic growth with accompanying
  population increases
• pressure for expansion in every resource-based
  industry

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Consuming the Environment

• (Unregulated)

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Environmental Standards

• Sector Based
• Physical environmental condition of air, land and
  water

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Presentation Overview

• Nature of the Challenge
• Nature of the Response
• Albertas experience to date
• Trans-boundary potential

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Current Approach versus Whats Needed
Current Approach Whats Needed
Assumption
Environmental media
Spatial context
Scope
Approach
Results
System organization
Responsibility / participation
Performance measurement
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Providing Albertans Environmental Quality
Assurance
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CEMS Fundamentals

• Outcomes based clearly defined environmental end
  states
• Place based geographically specific areas at
  different scales in the province
• Performance management based adaptive and
  generative environmental management system
• Collaborative built on a culture of shared
  stewardship, using a shared knowledge base.
• Comprehensive implementation uses both
  regulatory and non-regulatory approaches

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The CEM System

• STRATEGIC DIRECTION
• Legislation
• GoA and Ministry Business
• Plans
• Provincial Level Strategic
• Policies

• DEVELOP REFINE
• OUTCOMES STRATEGIES
• Regional Strategic
• Assessment
• Place-Based Planning
• Indicator Selection
• Operational Policy/Strategy
• Management Frameworks

• EVALUATE REPORT PERFORMANCE
• Environmental indicators
• and their implications
• Effectiveness of strategies
• and their delivery

• DELIVERY
• Tools Authorizations,
• Compliance Assurance,
• Non-Regulatory
• Monitoring, Data Management,
• Emergency Services

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Managing Environmental Performance
Knowledge Performance Management is the
foundation of a functional Cumulative Effects
Management System.
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Implications Understanding Condition and Making
Choices
SOCIAL CONTEXT
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT
Whats possible?
What you want (Target/ Outcome)
What youve got
What you may get
Pristine
Line in the Sand
Current state
Projected state
Threshold
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CEMS Transformation Key Messages
An Environmental Cumulative Effects Management
System

• is not about Environment Dominating.
• internalizes environment in societal decisions
  and management.
• enables intensity of use to be managed (a plan
  to manage growth).
• can streamline regulatory complexity.
• provides a common policy framework.
• establishes for all parties, a social license to
  discharge mandates.
• can reduce conflict.
• is a collective exercise - everyones
  horsepower.

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Presentation Overview

• Nature of the Challenge
• Nature of the Response
• Albertas experience to date
• Trans-boundary potential

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AEW Business Priorities
Outcome Based Environmental Cumulative Effects
Management System
Albertas Environment Sustains a High Quality
Of Life.
Climate Change Strategy
Water for Life Strategy
Clean Air Strategy
Oil Sands Environmental Management
Too Good To Waste Strategy
Foundational Work People Regulatory System
Delivery Policy Capacity Education and
Outreach Communications Information and
Knowledge Financial, Legal and Business
Support
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Environmental Management Continuous Improvement
FROM (pre-2003) TO (Water for Life) TO (Land-use Framework)
Paradigm of abundance of natural resources Managing within the capacity of individual watersheds Managing within environmental limits
Government policies and direction not fully integrated Clear, government-wide policy, outcomes and directions Integrated outcomes defined in the place
Traditional command and control regulatory system Much broader, innovative tools for watershed mgmt Much broader, innovative tools an aligned and enhanced regulatory system
Desire by Albertans to be involved in their community Local, regional, and provincial partnerships established for planning and stewardship Place-based partnerships broadened and extended to integrate across media
Pockets of alliances with stakeholders that achieve results Broad-based alliances to share responsibilities for outcomes Broad-based alliances share responsibilities for integrated outcomes
Meeting environmental standards Sustainability drives continuous improvement approaches Cumulative effects management drives continuous improvement
Focus on minimizing and mitigating adverse effects Focus on quality of aquatic ecosystems and sustainability Focus on addressing cumulative effects
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GOA Strategic Architecture
Strategic outcomes
Land-use Framework
Clean Air Strategy and Action Plan
Biodiversity action plan
Energy Strategy
Oil sands plan
Too Good to Waste Strategy
Climate Change Strategy
Water for Life strategy and action plan
Parks plan
Strategic direction and action
Cumulative Effects Management System
Place-based Application
Place-based plans
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Land Use Framework Strategies

• 1. Seven land-use regions
• 2. Land Use Secretariat and Regional Advisory
  Councils
• 3. Cumulative effects management at the regional
  level
• 4. Strategy for conservation and stewardship on
  private and public lands
• 5. Efficient use of land
• 6. An information, monitoring and knowledge
  system
• 7. Inclusion of Aboriginal peoples in land-use
  planning

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Regional Plans
Lower Athabasca South Saskatchewan North
Saskatchewan Upper Athabasca Red Deer Upper
Peace Lower Peace
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Regional Assessment and Planning

• Establishment of information and knowledge base
• Consideration of possible futures and
  determination of desired outcomes
• Assessment of options and the anticipated
  cumulative effects, with models, trend analysis
  and other analytical tools
• Feeds directly into development of regional plan
• Similar approach can be taken at other scales.

Regional Strategic Assessment Terms of Reference Profile of Region
Vision Outcomes
Assessment

Regional Plan Drafting and Implementation Regional Plan
Performance Management Reporting
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Regional Plans AEW Contribution
Provincial Policies
Regional Plans
Environmental Outcomes
Alberta Land Stewardship Act
Social Outcomes
Economic Outcomes
Alberta Environment Water
Environmental Strategies
Deliver Environmental Programs
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Management Frameworks

• Collaborative approach to development with
  leadership by government to establish desired
  outcomes and objectives
• Progressive action based on the conditions found
  in the environment trigger points
• Identified integrated management actions at
  trigger points
• Full range of information, incentive, and
  regulatory tools for implementation
• Intensity of management actions increases to
  respond to the state of conditions and levels of
  risk

Deliberate adaptive management!
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Management Frameworks

• Provides regional context for decisions about
  management of existing and future activities

Indicators, Triggers and Limits

• Indicators are chosen
• Triggers limits are set

• Ongoing monitoring and
• assessment of conditions
• relative to triggers limits

Monitoring and Modelling

• Management actions
• taken as needed at
• triggers limits
• Results reported

Management Response and Reporting
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Delivery System Tool Box

• Regulatory Excellence
• Outcomes-based
• authorizations
• Continuous improvement
• Limits trigger action

• Non Regulatory Excellence
• Easements
• Offsets
• Market incentives
• BMPs

Compliance assurance through education,
prevention, incentives and enforcement
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Delivery System Enhancement

• Enhance the range of regulatory and
  non-regulatory mechanisms
• Manage a cluster of activities involving multiple
  parties, requiring clarity of rules, roles, and
  accountabilities

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Supporting Monitoring System
Trans-Boundary
PLAN
ADAPT
Provincial
Regional
Sub- Regional
DO
CHECK
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Presentation Overview

• Nature of the Challenge
• Nature of the Response
• Albertas experience to date
• Trans-boundary potential

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Crown of the Continent Ecosystem

• Large, intact ecosystem
• High profile setting
• Unique attributes
• Peace Park at core
• Highly valued

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Interdependency Water
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Interdependency Water
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Interdependency Grizzlies
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Interdependency Grizzlies
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Crown Pressures

• Climate Change
• Invasive weeds
• Fire Management
• Urban and rural residential development
• Tourism and recreational use
• Resource use and extraction

• Environmental Quality
• Water Quality, quantity, fisheries, aquatics
• Wildlife habitat fragmentation and loss
• Degradation of ecosystem goods and services

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A Better Way Forward?

• Environmental Quality
• As good as it gets
• Land Use Challenges
• Chronic and continuing hot spot
• Jurisdictional Challenges
• Complex and trans-boundary

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In this Thing Together

• The environment doesnt recognize
  jurisdictional boundaries
• There is a need for cooperation and stewardship
  in a world of shared resources and
• Canadians and Americans have an enduring
  interest in peace, goodwill and a willingness to
  work together cooperatively.

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Conceptual Relationships
National
Meso Region
Region
Sub region
GN LCC

AGO

CRT
CMP
US Federal Stakeholders
Planning and Policy Alignment
Community based Stakeholders
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The Destination
Set
a
Management Frameworks Regional Strategic
Assessment Governance Regulatory
Tools Non-regulatory tools Policy frameworks
l
EQ
w
b
es
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The Future
The future is not a result of choices among
alternative paths offered by the present, but a
place that is created--created first in the mind
and will, created next in activity. The future is
not some place we are going to, but one we are
creating. The paths are not to be found, but
made, and the activity of making them, changes
both the maker and the destination.
John Schaar
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Thank-you. Ian W. Dyson Strategy
Division, Alberta Environment and Water More
information
http//environment.alberta.ca/0890.html
https//www.landuse.alberta.ca/Pages/default.aspx