A Guide to Understanding and Using the Project Selection and Priority Ranking Tool
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A Guide to Understanding and Using the Project Selection and Priority Ranking Tool Alberta Fisheries Habitat Enhancement and Sustainability (FISHES) Program April 4, 2016 ISBN 978-1-4601-2730-8 (Printed Edition) ISBN 978-1-4601-2731-5 (Online Edition) Website: aep.alberta.ca Recommended citation: Southern Alberta Fisheries Habitat Enhancement and Sustainability Program. 2015. A Guide to Understanding and Using the Project Selection and Priority Ranking Tool. Alberta Environment and Parks, Calgary. 23 pp. For copies of the guide, or for additional information on the Fisheries Habitat Enhancement and Sustainability (FISHES) Program including the Planning Framework, individual project rankings or project summary reports, please visit the FISHES home page (www.FISHES.alberta.ca) on the Alberta Environment and Parks website. Cover photograph: D. DePape Content may be used with appropriate credit to the source, without permission. ii Acknowledgements The Fisheries Enhancement and Sustainability Program extends its sincere appreciation to those individuals and organizations that contributed to the development of this approach, and the related guide, to selecting and ranking potential projects for consideration by the FISHES Program. This work would not have been possible without your time, knowledge, commitment to process, and willingness to voice controversial ideas and outrageous opinions. FISHES Technical Working Group: David DePape, (Chair) Program Manager, FISHES Program, Alberta Environment and Parks Darryl Johnson, Regional Resource Manager, Alberta Environment and Parks Rob Simieritsch, Flood Recovery Manager, Alberta Environment and Parks Brian Hills, Resource Manager, Alberta Environment and Parks Craig Johnson, Resource Manager, Alberta Environment and Parks Paul Christensen, Senior Fisheries Biologist, Alberta Environment and Parks Terry Clayton, Senior Fisheries Biologist, Alberta Environment and Parks Shane Petry, Senior Fisheries Biologist, Alberta Environment and Parks Mike Bryski, Senior Fisheries Biologist, Alberta Environment and Parks Jennifer Earle, Fisheries Biologist, Alberta Environment and Parks Sara Bumstead, Fisheries Biologist, Alberta Environment and Parks Brian Meagher, Fisheries Biologist, Alberta Environment and Parks Emeric Janssens, Fisheries Biologist, Alberta Environment and Parks Kevin Brayford, Team Lead, FISHES Program, Alberta Environment and Parks Mike Sanderman, Habitat Assessment Lead, FISHES Program, Alberta Environment and Parks Kelly Dick, Habitat Assessment Lead, FISHES Program, Alberta Environment and Parks Angelique Lavigne, Fisheries Technician, FISHES Program, Alberta Environment and Parks Wayne Ling, Fisheries Technician, FISHES Program, Alberta Environment and Parks Tyler Armitage, Flood Recovery GIS Specialist, Alberta Environment and Parks Steve Gaylor, Team Lead, Regional Informatics Unit, Alberta Environment and Parks Wendell Koning, Limnologist, Alberta Environment and Parks Additional Contributors: Richard Eaton, Norma Glendinning -- Berlin Eaton Management Consultants Marek Janowicz, Michael Hunka -- Fisheries and Oceans Canada Andrew Paul, Dani Walker, Dave Park, Michael Sullivan -- Fish and Wildlife Policy Branch, Alberta Environment and Parks iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................iii List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ v List of Figures .......................................................................................................................... v 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 Background ................................................................................................................... 1 3.0 Approach to Project Selection...................................................................................... 2 4.0 Individual Ranking Criteria ........................................................................................... 4 4.1 Fish Species Priority ..................................................................................................................... 4 4.2 FSI Anthropogenic Limitations to Productivity .............................................................................. 5 4.3 FSI Adult Density .......................................................................................................................... 6 4.4 High Risk Water Act Approval Density .......................................................................................... 7 4.5 Environmental Risk (Immediate or Short –term) ........................................................................... 9 4.6 Ecological Integrity (Long-Term) ................................................................................................... 9 4.7 Economic Value of Fishery / Angler-Effort .................................................................................. 10 4.8 Social/Intrinsic Value of the Fishery ............................................................................................ 10 4.9 Regulatory Complexity (permits and applications)...................................................................... 11 4.10 Landscape Scale Benefits to Fish ........................................................................................... 11 4.11 Long-term Maintenance Considerations ................................................................................. 12 4.12 Logistical Considerations ........................................................................................................ 12 4.12.1 Project Cost ..................................................................................................................... 12 4.12.2 Construction Complexity ................................................................................................. 13 Glossary of Terms ..................................................................................................................22 Acronyms ................................................................................................................................24 References ..............................................................................................................................25 iv List of Tables Table 1 – FSI Anthropogenic Limitations Ratings ......................................................................14 Table 2 – FSI Adult Density Ratings ..........................................................................................18 List of Figures Figure 1: Fish Density compared to Habitat Quality ................................................................... 6 Figure 2: HUC High Risk Water Act Approval Density Risk Ranking .......................................... 8 v 1.0 Introduction In June 2013, parts of southern Alberta were devastated from significant flooding. The Government of Alberta responded to this catastrophe with a number of new programs, and funding to address a wide range of flood recovery activities. Programs were focused on the four essential elements of the Provincial Recovery Framework: People, Economy, Reconstruction and Environment. Directly linked to the Environment element of the Recovery Framework, Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD, now Alberta Environment and Parks), lead the development of a $10 million program to address impacts to fish and fish habitat as a result of the 2013 and 2014 flood events including impacts associated with recovery work. The new Southern Alberta Fisheries Habitat Enhancement and Sustainability (FISHES) Program aims to mitigate the flood related effects on fish and fish habitat in the short term and to re-establish a healthy aquatic environment over the longer term. As Albertans work through the stages of recovery, extensive reconstruction and revitalization of flood affected areas will be ongoing. There is a large amount of work to be done in and around waterbodies to deal with flood-related damage including: restoring/repairing infrastructure, removing debris, repairing erosion damage and mitigating against future flood events. In response to the significant number of applications from municipalities, local authorities and individual Albertans for authorization to proceed with flood recovery activities, ESRD also implemented an “Expedited Authorization Process for 2013/2014 Flood Recovery Projects”, or EAPFR. The intent of the EAPFR is to streamline the application, referral, and issuance processes for authorizations issued by ESRD under the Water Act and Public Lands Act related to flood recovery activities. This new process enables those affected by the floods to get on with recovery work as quickly as possible following the submission of their application. Managing and mitigating for impacts to the aquatic environment and fish habitat, resulting from these works, is required by provincial and federal policies and legislation. Where unavoidable damage to the aquatic environment and fish habitat has or will occur as a result of activities approved under provincial, or authorized under federal, legislation (e.g. Alberta Water Act, Alberta Public Lands Act, or Federal Fisheries Act.), off-setting or habitat compensation may also be required. 2.0 Background The area directly impacted