North Shore has an experienced group of specialists from various biophysical disciplines to support all project phases. Our multi-disciplinary team includes Biologists, Ecologists, Foresters, and Agrologists specializing in soils, vegetation, wetlands, aquatics and wildlife in order to support our client’s environmental assessment, monitoring and regulatory application needs. North Shore’s Biophysical Team is well versed and up-to-date with current regulatory application processes and pre-disturbance assessment requirements. We are experts on the Alberta Wetland Policy, Alberta Water Act, and the Enhanced Approval Process. Coupled with our knowledge and expertise in front-end project planning, North Shore supports our clients with their construction, operational, and post-construction monitoring, assessment, and reporting requirements. To find out more, click on one of the categories below.
Soil
North Shore offers a variety of soil-related services for various activities and regulatory requirements including:
- Soil survey, classification and mapping
- Soils assessments supporting wetland classification and delineation
- Pre-disturbance site assessments (PDSA)
- Conservation and reclamation planning and monitoring
- Soil salvage monitoring
- Operational soil monitoring programs
- Post-construction reclamation assessments
Vegetation
North Shore offers a variety of vegetation-related services for activities and regulatory requirements including:
- Ecosite classification and mapping
- Rare plant surveys
- Timber salvage planning (merchantable timber assessments)
- Pre-disturbance site assessments (PDSA) and Interim monitoring site assessments (IMSA)
- Conservation and reclamation planning and monitoring
- Post-construction reclamation assessments
- Weed surveys
- Vegetation and weed management
Wetlands & Watercourses
North Shore’s Qualified Wetland Science Practitioners (QWSP) and Qualified Aquatic Environmental Specialists (QAES) are well versed in the Alberta Wetland Policy, Alberta Water Act, and Fisheries Act. We offer a variety of related services for various activities and regulatory requirements including:
- Desktop reviews for location/route siting
- Wetland classification, delineation and mapping
- Wetland reclamation planning and monitoring
- Water Act Application and notifications including:
- Codes of Practice (Temporary Diversion of Water for Hydrostatic Testing, Pipelines and Telecommunication Lines Crossing a Water Body, Watercourse Crossings, Outfall Structures on Water Bodies)
- Alberta Wetland Rapid Evaluation Tool (ABWRET) forms
- Alberta Wetland Assessment and Impact Reports (WAIR)
- Alberta Wetland Assessment and Impact Forms (WAIF)
- Watercourse and waterbody crossing assessments (i.e. roads and pipelines), to meet Fisheries Act, Water Act and associated Code of Practice requirements
- Fish and fish habitat baseline and impact assessments for work in or near water, including but not limited to proposed water withdrawal locations and associated activities
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Request for Review
- Hydrological assessments to support water resource planning, including water withdrawal locations
Wildlife
North Shore’s Biologists assess proposed developments in advance of construction for species of concern, applicable setbacks and mitigation measures required by the Wildlife Act, Species at Risk Act, Migratory Bird Convention Act and the Master Schedule of Standards and Conditions related to Alberta’s Enhanced Approval Process (EAP). Additional services offered by North Shore’s wildlife specialists include:
- Desktop wildlife assessments and reviews
- Field wildlife surveys including:
- Wildlife sweeps and migratory bird nest sweeps
- Migratory bird surveys and breeding bird surveys
- Amphibian surveys
- Species at Risk surveys, including Ord’s Kangaroo Rat, Burrowing Owl, and Snake hibernacula surveys
- Mammal surveys
- Winter track counts
- Acoustic Surveys
- Post-construction fatality monitoring for birds and bats at solar and wind energy facilities
- Construction and operational wildlife monitoring and mitigation planning
- Wildlife protection plans, including Caribou, Snakes, and Amphibians
- Wildlife salvage and relocation
- Regulatory consultation
Environmental Monitoring
North Shore has knowledgeable Environmental Inspectors who support projects during pipeline and wellsite construction, drilling, spill response, and post-reclamation. Our qualified staff have the knowledge and expertise to make appropriate judgments and recommendations to project teams. Our services include:
- Construction inspection and monitoring such as:
- Soil salvage
- Wetland and watercourse crossings
- Fish salvage for isolation of in stream work
- Turbidity monitoring and frac response for pipeline horizontal directional drilling at watercourse crossings
- Erosion and sediment control assessments, plans and monitoring for proposed and existing developments
- Wildlife monitoring, salvage and relocation
- Reclamation supervision
- Indian Oil and Gas Canada (IOGC) Audits
- Post-reclamation monitoring and assessments
- Vegetation and weed management
Regulatory Application & Reporting
North Shore’s Biophysical team has experience and expertise preparing and supporting various regulatory applications and reporting documents, including:
- Lands acquisition (Disposition Approvals) through the Enhanced Approval Process (EAP)
- Borrow pit (SMC) and water reservoir (LOC) planning, development, and approval
- Project Level Conservation Reclamation and Closure Plans (PLCRCP) under Specified Enactment Direction 001 (SED001)
- Baseline Soil Monitoring Programs to support Soil Management Programs or facility decommissioning under the Soil Monitoring Directive
- Conservation and Reclamation Plans for regulated pipelines
- Environmental Evaluations (EEs)
- Environmental Protection Plans (EPPs)
- Alberta Wetland Policy and Water Act applications and notifications including:
- Codes of Practice (Temporary Diversion of Water for Hydrostatic Testing, Pipelines and Telecommunication Lines Crossing a Water Body, Watercourse Crossings, Outfall Structures on Water Bodies)
- Alberta Wetland Rapid Evaluation Tool (ABWRET) forms
- Alberta Wetland Assessment and Impact Reports (WAIR)
- Alberta Wetland Assessment and Impact Forms (WAIF)
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Request for Review
- Post-construction Monitoring Annual Reporting for Solar and Wind Facilities
- Submission of data to the Fisheries and Wildlife Management Information System (FWMIS)
- Wildlife Protection Plans, including Caribou and Snakes
- Indian Oil and Gas Canada (IOGC) Audits