Guidelines for native grasslands

Overview

Conservation of native grasslands is crucial for protecting the ecological integrity of Alberta’s natural environments.

Historical and current conservation policies are built on 2 fronts:

• principles and practices for minimizing surface disturbance to the native grasslands, and
• use of native grassland vegetation species and other conservation measures for land restoration or reclamation projects, where disturbance is unavoidable.

The Alberta government uses several formats for the guidelines:

• conservation and reclamation letter (C&R IL)
• industry directive (ID)
• remediation and reclamation fact sheet (R&R)
• fully developed guideline publications

Guidelines

• 2010 Reclamation Criteria for Well Sites and Associated Facilities for Native Grasslands
• Conservation Assessments in Native Grasslands and Conservation Assessment Forms
  (XLSX, 50 KB)
  Strategic siting and pre-disturbance site assessment methodology for industrial activities in native grasslands
• Industrial Activity in Foothills Fescue Grasslands
  Guidelines for minimizing surface disturbance
• Industrial Activity in the Central Parkland and Northern Fescue Native Grasslands
  Strategies for minimizing surface disturbance
• Principles, Guidelines and Tools for all Industrial Activity in Native Grasslands in the Prairie and Parkland Landscapes of Alberta
  Principles for minimizing surface disturbance
• Revegetation Using Native Plant Materials: Guidelines for Industrial Development Sites
  R&R 03-3

Technical resources

• Foothills Fescue Grassland – Principles for Minimizing Surface Disturbance
  IL 2010-02
• Literature Review of Reclamation Practices in the Central Parkland and Northern Fescue Natural Subregions
  Effective February 2017
• Recovery Strategies for Industrial Development in Native Prairie – Dry Mixed-grass Natural Subregion of Alberta
  First approximation
• Recovery Strategies for Industrial Development in Native Prairie – Mixed-grass Natural Subregion of Alberta
  First approximation