Ecological Monitoring Committee for the Lower Athabasca: Program Update Susanne Cote PTAC Resource Access & Ecological Issues Forum November 30 th, 2011 Calgary, AB

Background Industry requirements for biodiversity and wildlife monitoring in EPEA – Not designed for regional picture – Not standardized ABMI operates a provincial biodiversity monitoring program – Additions to ABMI could address region-specific priorities Agreement in 2009 to seek improvements to current system through a coordinated approach

Program Development Early industry and government create the Regional Terrestrial Monitoring Joint Working Group (RTMJWG) Focus on developing recommendations for improved terrestrial monitoring – to understand cumulative effects of development Geographic focus on the Lower Athabasca Planning Region (LAPR) Recommendations report issued August 2010

Key Outcomes of the Report Guidance Document – Outlines goals and path forward – Builds on ABMI but addresses regional priorities Governance Model Funding Approach – GoA suspends specific EPEA approval clauses for oil sands operators. Recommended a broad work plan and budget for 2011

Ecological Monitoring Committee for the Lower Athabasca (EMCLA) New governance group held their first meeting in December 2010 First tasks: – Refine EMCLA purpose and scope – Further develop 2011 work plan – Implement 2011 work plan

EMCLA Purpose Improve the quality of monitoring done to fulfill specific clauses in EPEA approvals for oil sands developments – Move beyond current focus on individual projects Key priorities include: – Filling gaps in existing regional monitoring systems – Coordinating data collection amongst different development projects  Better information available for environmental management in the LAPR

Key Principles Transparency – Data and reports publicly available Scientific Credibility – Partnership with the ABMI – Project teams include academics, managers, and subject matter experts Relevance – Addresses issues raised through regulatory processes of project reviews and approvals

Governance 11 Representatives sit on Committee Industry Government ABMI Ex-officio Program Manager (ABMI) GoA (4) GoC (1) OSDG Members (20 companies)

Funding Project funding to date provided by OSDG member companies EMCLA develops annual work plan and required budget OSDG coordinates funding allocation among companies

2011 Work Plan First year of EMCLA program EMCLA approved three projects for 2011: – Caribou movement and linear developments – Uncommon Animals – Rare Plants

Project Team Participants Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute Alberta Innovates Technology Futures University of Alberta Royal Alberta Museum Bird Studies Canada Devonian Botanical Garden Alberta Conservation Association Environment Canada Beaverhill Bird Observatory Boreal Avian Monitoring Project Strix Ecological Consulting Alberta Tourism, Parks, and Recreation Alberta Sustainable Resource Development Al-Pac Forest Industries Golder Associates

1) Effects of Linear Development on Caribou Conduct a review of the effects of linear features on caribou movement relative to other factors that affect caribou populations Develop a spatially explicit model of range- scale caribou movements Preliminary application of movement model to mitigation efforts

1) Caribou Cont’d Shift focus of project to look at long-range movements Results show that: – short and long-range movements are distinguishable – long-range movements are influenced by both habitat type and anthropogenic features Caribou long-range movements are not random Substantial individual variation Further analysis in linked to mitigation

2) Uncommon Animal Species Purpose is to develop an effective, long- term animal monitoring program to address gaps in ABMI monitoring In 2011, EMCLA chose to conduct a feasibility assessment for regional monitoring of Yellow Rails, owls, and amphibians In 2011, objectives are to: – Prioritize research and management questions – Compile existing data and information on target species – Develop monitoring designs

Example: Yellow Rail

2) Animal Species Cont’d Major recommendations for monitoring program are to: – Conduct pilot fieldwork using existing data to guide sampling design – Test the use of automatic recorders (cryptic, nocturnal species) – Develop better spatial habitat data GIS layers (especially for wetlands)

3) Rare Plants Rare Plant surveys conducted on lease sites only ABMI program does not effectively monitor many rare plant species (e.g. habitat specialists) Purpose of project is to provide credible information on the abundance and distribution of plant species that are rare or of conservation concern In 2011, project objectives are to: Assemble and synthesize existing rare plant data Analyze existing data Generate lists of candidate species for monitoring Begin design for an informative and appropriate rare plant monitoring program

3) Rare Plants Cont’d Data assembled – ACIMS as base; added ~1200 additional records in the LAPR – Included bryophytes, lichens, and vasculars Carried out species distribution modeling for 66 species – Emphasized regionally important plants – Used 46 different predictors (climate, habitat, topography, etc.) Recommend an adaptive sampling approach for 2012 and beyond – Additional data collection to improve predictive models – Combined with trend occupancy and abundance sample plots stratified by disturbance level

Looking Ahead: 2012 Work Plan EMCLA has an approved work plan for 2012 All three existing projects will continue into 2012 Rare Plants Three animal projects (Yellow Rail, amphibians, owls) Caribou movement modeling Fieldwork for both plants and animals 2012 budget is set Funding allocations among OSDG members under discussion

The EMCLA has taken steps to better coordinate wildlife and biodiversity monitoring in the LAPR Similar groups exist for other media However, there is still a need for improved coordination…. EMCLA: Moving Forward

How can industry and government work together to ensure that resources are used efficiently? Reduce overlap in programs Ensure monitoring dollars are spent wisely Provincial monitoring system under development EMCLA is eager to work with other regional initiatives to ensure our work is relevant, timely, and addressing information gaps EMCLA: Part of a Larger Regional System