Author Archives: Dave Poulton

About Dave Poulton

Dave Poulton is the Director of the Alberta Land Institute at the University of Alberta and Executive Director of the Alberta Association for Conservation Offsets. He is also Principal of Poulton Environmental Strategies Inc. He holds a B.A. and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Calgary, an LL.B. from Dalhousie and an LL.M. in the University of Calgary’s Natural Resources, Energy & Environment program. Dave practiced law in Calgary for 11 years and served as Executive Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society’s Southern Alberta Chapter for 9 years.

Alberta Energy Regulator Breaks New Ground on Offsetting of Caribou Habitat

By: Dave Poulton

PDF Version: Alberta Energy Regulator Breaks New Ground on Offsetting of Caribou Habitat

Decision Commented On: TransCanada Pipelines Limited, Applications for the White Spruce Pipeline Project, Fort MacKay Area, February 22, 2018, 2018 ABAER 001

On February 22 the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) released a decision that could advance Alberta’s seemingly endless discussions on caribou conservation and on conservation offsets. By requiring TransCanada Pipelines Limited (TCPL) to offset the disturbance of habitat in caribou range caused by the construction of 2 new oil pipelines, the AER may have signalled its willingness to show leadership on these files. Continue reading →

Disappointment at the Bank: The Fish Habitat Banking Provisions of Bill C-68

By: Dave Poulton

PDF Version: Disappointment at the Bank: The Fish Habitat Banking Provisions of Bill C-68

Legislation Commented On: Bill C-68: An Act to amend the Fisheries Act and other Acts in consequence

Over the past weeks several ABlawg contributors have posted their summaries and commentary on the suite of environmental assessment and protection legislation introduced by the federal government in the form of Bills C-68 and C-69. The series started with Martin Olszynski’s overview of the two pieces of legislation, to which readers are referred for background to my contribution.

The purpose of this post is to examine fish habitat banking, a fisheries management tool that for the first time stands to be legislated through the amendments to the Fisheries Act, RSC 1985, c F-14 found in Bill C-68. Habitat banking is a mechanism to enable the provision of habitat “offsetting”. To understand habitat banking, therefore, it is necessary to start with the concept of offsetting. Continue reading →

Alberta’s New Wetland Policy as a Conservation Offset System

PDF Version: Alberta’s New Wetland Policy as a Conservation Offset System

Policy commented on: Alberta Wetland Policy

The new Alberta Wetland Policy, released on September 10, has already been much commented upon and critiqued. Understandably, such commentary has generally come from the perspective of trends in Alberta’s protection of wetlands. For example, in a recent ABlawg posting Arlene Kwasniak has provided a thorough review of the context, history and some specific features of the new policy. My orientation here is somewhat different. I wish to look at the new approach to wetlands as part of the emerging trend toward market-based conservation, and in particular the use of offset mechanisms to preserve ecosystems and biodiversity.

Continue reading →