Other News of Interest

Recovery Strategies for Industrial Development in Native Prairie: New Manual!

SASCI Editor — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:31:46 +0000

"Recovery Strategies for Industrial Development in Native Prairie: Dry Mixedgrass Natural Subregion of Alberta" is a new and exciting tool for restoration within the Dry Mixedgrass Natural Subregion. It is the first document in a series of new guideline documents that will address recovery strategies for all the natural subregions within Alberta’s Grassland Natural Region. The objective of this document is to help reclamation practitioners, landowners, land managers, and regulatory authorities to determine the most appropriate recovery strategy for their disturbance type, giving site-specific options and pathways to restoration.

The document was prepared by Gramineae Services Ltd. for the Range Resource Management Program of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development, in partnership with the Special Areas Board, Foothills Restoration Forum (which SASCI is proud to support), and the Energy Resources Conservation Board.

You can download a PDF of the document from our Resources page here.

If you want to order a full-colour, coil-bound copy of the document, visit the Foothills Restoration Forum website here.

Pathways to Prosperity: new report now available!

SASCI Editor — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 20:49:10 +0000

The National Parks Conservation Association, based in Whitefish, Montana, has issued a new report, entitled Pathways to Prosperity: The Natural Roots of Economic Success in the Crown of the Continent.

From the report's Executive Summary:

"Pathways to Prosperity tells eight stories from eight very different perspectives, exploring what we hold in common across our borders, and what it means to live and work in the Crown. The global economy is changing— has changed—and today’s employers and employees are free to relocate where they choose. Many choose the Crown. Locating in our region’s rural towns is no longer a trade-off between livelihood and lifestyle; today’s entrepreneurs are having their scenery and eating it too."

Featuring stories and perspectives from southwest Alberta, southeast BC, and Montana, the report is likely to be of interest to various stakeholders in the region.

To download the PDF (about 5.75 MB), click here to be redirected to our Resources page.

Selected Tools to Evaluate Water Monitoring Networks for Climate Change Adaptation

SASCI Editor — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:29:57 +0000

CCME (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment) has published Selected Tools to Evaluate Water Monitoring Networks for Climate Change Adaptation. This toolkit describes proven and practical ways for water managers and planners to set climate change adaptation priorities for water monitoring networks, and evaluate their ability to provide the data to support climate change adaptation needs.

Click here to get to the CCME's water site.

Click here to download the Tools PDF file (1.3MB).

Embedding Sustainability into the Culture of Municipal Government

SASCI Editor — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:39:31 +0000

A free new report, Embedding Sustainability into the Culture of Municipal Government, promises to help municipal change agents advance sustainability in their organizations and become role models for others in the community.

Excerpt from the related press release:

"Developed as a collaboration between the Network for Business Sustainability (NBS), The Natural Step Canada, and Dr. Stephanie Bertels from the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University, the report is the result of a comprehensive review of municipal sustainability practices from across Canada. Based on leading research, the guide provides practical guidance for municipal practitioners and organizations to support a culture of sustainability in municipal governments.

Available for download and distribution for free, municipal change agents are encouraged to study this new resource, share it widely with their colleagues, and incorporate it into their municipal sustainability planning."

Click here to download the report.

Click here to read the press release.

Updated Draft Lower Athabasca Regional Plan Released

SASCI Editor — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:59:41 +0000

Here is a link to law firm Bennett Jones' review of the amendments to the draft Lower Athabasca Regional Plan (LARP).

This may be of interest to stakeholders in southwest Alberta, if only to better understand how the process may unfold for the development of the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan (SSRP).

For more information about the LARP, click here to access the Land Use Secretariat's website.

For more information about the SSRP, including ongoing public consultation opportunities, click here. (This link will also take you to the Land Use Secretariat's website.)

Don't forget the public consultation workbook for Phase 2 of the SSRP is due by December 19th! You can access the workbook here.

Town of Olds wins FCM Sustainable Community Award

SASCI Editor — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:58:01 +0000

The Town of Olds has been recognized by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities with a Community Sustainability award for its use of innovative wastewater treatment technology.

A summary from the FCM's website:

"The Town of Olds’ wastewater treatment plant was almost 30 years old and serving a population of 7,500 when trouble began — the facility was at capacity and posed an environmental hazard to receiving waters. Plans to upgrade and expand the plant were put on hold in 2006 when the Province announced plans for a regional wastewater system. The new system involved piping the town’s wastewater to Red Deer for treatment. This left the town with limited funding for upgrades and rendered its poorly functioning plant non-compliant with provincial regulations on effluent quantity and quality. The town needed a non-infrastructure solution to respond to ministerial requests to meet provincial regulations.

Guided by its sustainable community plan, the town decided to implement an innovative approach in which a bacterial treatment is injected into the wastewater pipes before wastewater reaches the treatment plant. The Canadian agent for the American-designed In-Pipe® treatment system managed the town’s conversion to this pre-treatment model, with no capital spending and no extra energy costs for the town. The initiative resulted in better-than-ever compliance with provincial requirements."

Click here to see a summary of the outcomes of the project (and for links to other FCM awards).

Click here to watch a video about the challenge faced by Olds and their award-winning solution.

Investors launch Principles for Responsible Investment in Farmland

SASCI Editor — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:49:37 +0000

A group of institutional investors currently representing US$1.3 trillion in assets have launched the Principles for Responsible Investment in Farmland (the “Farmland Principles”) with the goal of improving the sustainability, transparency and accountability of investments in farmland.

The Farmland Principles provide institutional investors with best practice guidelines for:

Promoting environmental sustainability (Principle 1)
Respecting labour and human rights (Principle 2)
Respecting existing land and resource rights (Principle 3)
Upholding high business and ethical standards (Principle 4)
Reporting on activities and progress towards implementing and promoting the Principles (Principle 5)

For more information, read the press release from the UNPRI here.

Read the Principles here.

Greyhound cutting service in rural Alberta communities

SASCI Editor — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 15:15:31 +0000

Following regulatory changes by the province, Greyhound will be cutting 12 unprofitable passenger routes in the fall, affecting mainly communities in northern and central Alberta.

Read the full story in this Edmonton Journal article from August 12, 2011.

Enmax launching solar panel leasing program

SASCI Editor — Tue, 31 May 2011 15:43:12 +0000

Enmax plans to begin leasing rooftop solar panels to Alberta customers in June this year. The panels will generate up to 130 kW-hours per month, which is about 20% of what the typical household uses.

Read more in this Global News article here.

Visit Enmax's alternative energy site here.

Rural social media users value close connection

SASCI Editor — Fri, 27 May 2011 16:46:47 +0000

A recent study explored how rural use of social media differs from urban communities. Click here to read the story.