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Part of Wildlife management

Wildlife land use guidelines - Overview

Guidelines and directives to minimize the impact of land-use activities on wildlife.

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Wildlife land use guidelines

Introduction

The following Wildlife Land Use Guidelines reflect current recommendations of the Fish and Wildlife Division and are consistent with the direction provided within the Enhanced Approval Process (EAP).

These wildlife guidelines apply to all land-use activities not covered by the EAP. For direction on wildlife mitigation for all upstream oil and gas activities, consult:

Recommended Wildlife Land Use Guidelines

The guidelines have been developed for selected wildlife species, species groups and ecological regions of the province to assist land managers, land owners and land users in avoiding or minimizing potential adverse impacts to wildlife from various land use activities.

Fish and Wildlife Division Area staff are available for consultation and discussion on the recommendations within these guidelines.

Wildlife Key Areas/Sites

The guidelines are primarily targeted to specific wildlife key areas/sites that play an essential role in ensuring the continued survival of local and regional populations of the identified wildlife species or species group.

The areas where these recommendations apply are indicated by Wildlife Sensitivity Layers that are consistent with the Landscape Analysis Tool (LAT) and available at:

Guidelines for Renewable Energy Projects

  • Wildlife Directives for Alberta Renewable Energy Projects

    The Wildlife Directive for Alberta Solar Energy Projects and the Wildlife Directive for Alberta Wind Energy Projects review the impacts that solar and wind energy developments can have on wildlife, both directly and indirectly.

    The Wildlife Directive for Alberta Solar Energy Projects is an update of the Wildlife Guideline for Alberta Solar Energy Projects (2016) and was developed in consultation with industry and appropriate stakeholders.

    The Wildlife Directive for Alberta Wind Energy Projects is an update of the Wildlife Guideline for Alberta Wind Energy Projects (2011) and was developed in consultation with industry and appropriate stakeholders. It is designed to direct wind energy proponents to minimize wildlife and wildlife habitat risks.

    Any requests for review by Alberta Environment and Parks – Fish and Wildlife Stewardship must be submitted in the format outlined in the following document. By having all proponents submit information in the same format, review process can be more efficient, thus decreasing the wait time for industry.

    It is the responsibility of the proponent to ensure that all required information and supporting documents, as identified in this template, are included in the submission.

    The below information regarding the Wildlife Directives for Alberta Wind and Solar Energy Projects may help to provide some guidance and alleviate any outstanding confusion.

    In addition, any specific inquiries regarding the amendment process associated with application review may be addressed in the following information document:

  • Renewable Energy Risk Framework

    The Renewable Energy Risk Framework is an outline of the risk assessment process conducted by Alberta Environment and Protected Areas biologists as a part of the requirements under Alberta Utilities Commission Rule 007. 

    The use of this framework provides transparency to proponents and supports consistency between projects and reviewers.  Proponents are encouraged to use the information contained in the document as a part of up-front planning to ensure alignment to the renewable energy directives when identifying and mitigating impacts to wildlife and wildlife habitat.

  • Post-construction Survey Protocols for Wind and Solar Energy Projects

    The post-construction survey protocols document outlines the survey requirements of the renewable energy industry once a new project has been built and is operational. It provides the direction for the requirements that are outlined in the Wildlife Directive for Alberta Wind Energy Projects and the Wildlife Directive for Alberta Solar Energy Projects.

    Post-construction monitoring reporting template

    The reporting template document outlines the information that must be provided in an annual report submitted to the Alberta Environment and Protected Areas biologists as required in the Wildlife Directive for Alberta Wind Energy Projects and the Wildlife Directive for Alberta Solar Energy Projects.

    To access these documents, visit:

  • Bat Mitigation Framework for Wind Power Development

    This framework is to inform both Fish and Wildlife Stewardship staff and industrial proponents about the management of bats in relation to wind power generation. The intent is that both developers and staff can use this framework to assist when discussing bat mitigation.

    This framework can assist in the application of mitigation measures specific to reduce the effect of turbine operation on bats (i.e., minimize mortality). This document aims to improve upon knowledge and consistency when discussing

    • bat fatalities
    • pre-construction surveys and risk assessment
    • post-construction monitoring
    • step-wise bat mitigation strategies

    This document was reviewed with bat experts with Alberta Bat Action Team (ABAT) and staff at the Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) and endorsed by Fish and Wildlife Stewardship.

  • Renewable Energy and Wildlife Habitat Sensitivity Map

    In order to assist in project planning, Alberta Environment and Protected Areas is providing a Wildlife Habitat Sensitivity Map.

    The goal of this document is to help guide the site selection process to areas with lower risk to Alberta's wildlife and wildlife habitat. The map was developed in concert with the Wildlife Directive for Alberta Wind Energy Projects and Wildlife Guidelines for Alberta Solar Energy Projects and reflects potential risks to wildlife and wildlife habitat.

    An accompanying document is available that dictates how to use and interpret the map. This map should not be interpreted as a regulatory map, but as a pre-planning tool. The associated shape file is now available for download below.

    It is important to note that these files may be updated in the future and therefore any proponent using these files, should ensure the version they are referencing is, in fact, the latest version. Proponents are encouraged to contact their local Alberta government Wildlife Biologist for more information on areas of interest.

Note: These guidelines are either provincial or regional in scope and should be applied with judgement that considers the specific physical and vegetative characteristics of an area/site, as well as the types of existing land uses at and adjacent to the area/site.

Applying the guidelines to private land use

Provincial land managers (for example: Forestry Division and Lands Division) will consider these guidelines and may incorporate them into land use dispositions on provincial Crown lands.

However, because wildlife are the property of the Crown, irrespective of whether they occur on publicly-or private-owned land, private land owners and businesses/companies operating on private lands should also be familiar with these guidelines and make use of them where and as appropriate.

Guideline review process

These guidelines are subject to review and refinement on an ongoing basis, and may be updated to reflect changes in knowledge of mitigation strategies.

Related Information

Refer to the Caribou Management to see some of the mitigation strategies the Alberta government is using to stop the decline of woodland caribou populations.

Alberta Energy Regulator

Contact

Comments on the substance of these guidelines and requests for further information may be submitted to:

Provincial Wildlife Habitat Specialist
Alberta Environment and Parks
Phone 780-422-3344

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