The Wetland Professional Practice Standards were developed through a collaboration of ten professional regulatory organizations that the provincial government identified as working in the field of wetland science, engineering or design. This group mimicked the one previously created for reclamation practice standards, but included more PROs.
These ten PROs, as you can see on the screen include: agrologists, biologists, engineers and geoscientists, engineering and geoscience technologists, planners, chemists, landscape architects, surveyors, foresters and forest technologists, which have subsequently joined together.
The idea was that this area of practice was multi-disciplinary and highly technical and an overarching set of standards would be required to ensure due diligence across all professionals working on wetland management in Alberta, thus unifying the practice.
The professional practice standards can be found on Alberta Environment and Protected Areas Wetland Policy implementation website
Professional Practice Authours and Webinar Panelists
Dr. Markus Thormann
Professional Biologist
Professional Wetland Scientist
Tom Sneddon
Professional Geologist
Noel St. Jean
Forester – Retired
Laurie Hamilton
Professional Biologist
Certified Engineering Technologist
Professional Practice Authours and Webinar Panelists Biographies and Contact Information
Dr. Markus Thormann is a Senior Wetland Specialist with over 30 years of experience in academia, research, and environmental consulting and the founder of Aquilon Services Ltd. Most recently, he has supported clients with the acquisition of regulatory approvals and contributed to oil/bitumen/produced water release assessments, reclamation projects, pre-site and pre-development assessments, sensitive receptor inventories, wetland compensation, treatment wetland design, and wetland and water body monitoring program development and implementation projects. These projects have been for oil/gas, municipal, private landowner, mining, and landfill clients across Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. His areas of expertise include terrestrial and wetland plant community monitoring and assessments, nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, plant and microbial biodiversity, and impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on terrestrial, wetland, and aquatic ecosystem distribution, function, and water quality and quantity. In addition, he has experience in wetland classification, delineation, identification, and monitoring, design of treatment wetlands, forest pathology, non-timber forest resources, climate change impacts on natural ecosystems, and ecosystem health assessments. Dr. Thormann contributed to the Professional Practice Standard for Wetland Science, Design and Engineering document, released by Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) in May 2017, and the Reclamation Practices and Criteria for Powerpoles, released by AEP in May 2020.
Dr. Markus Thormann
Professional Biologist
Professional Wetland Scientist
Contact: markus@aquilonconsulting.ca
Noel St. Jean
Forester – Retired
Executive Director- (Agroforestry & Woodlot Extension Society): managed all program aspects for the not-for-profit organization. Extension and fee-for-service projects on private lands. Managed woodlot assessment program and managed of all woodlot activities, including harvest design, layout and harvest supervision. Created first standards for site restoration and regeneration, and monitoring on private lands. Promoted the concept and approach of alley cropping and Silvo-pasture.
In Government of Alberta provided the technical approval of 2010 Reclamation Standards.
Member of Executive Council for 3 years for College of Alberta Professional Foresters: President for the 2013-2014 year. Past President for the 2014-15 year. Lead the merger process of both Colleges into one organization.
Represented College of Alberta Professional Foresters in development and recommended approval of Wetland Professional Practice Standards
Led a team of individuals planning and obtaining regulatory approval for ATCO Electric northeast area that involved 2 billion plus in total project expenditure.
Successful in guiding and managing numerous professional and technical personnel to best performance and high achievements. Supervision of senior and technical specialists with varied educational background and expertise, in both government and private sector.
Managed numerous multidisciplinary teams in the Alberta regulatory and environmental management sector, both public and private. Managed team of technical specialists in development of key guidance programs for the oil and gas and utilities industries.
Tom is a Hydrogeologist with over 25 years earth sciences experience including permitting and field work in hydrology, hydrogeology, environmental geology and minerals exploration and development. He is currently a Geological Consultant at Marmot Research Inc. but was the Director of Geoscience for APEGA for 10 years. During his time at APEGA he updated and contributed to several standards including. Tom is knowledgeable in geophysical data processing and interpretation. He is experienced with project management technology, business administration and supervision of staff.
Tom Sneddon
Professional Geologist
Professional Geoscientist
Laurie Hamilton
Professional Biologist
Certified Engineering Technologist
Laurie Hamilton is a consulting Terrestrial and Wetland Ecologist, Authenticating Professional, and Geomatics Specialist, with Zanshin Environmental Networks Inc. and has over twenty-five years of experience working on environmental and land management projects throughout BC, Alberta, Northwest Territories and Saskatchewan. Laurie has a diverse background both in environmental consulting, conducting a range of environmental assessments for a diverse clientele, and in education and training.
Laurie teaches Wetland Ecology at Mount Royal University in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department as a sessional instructor, and has been presenting workshops, courses and training opportunities for over twelve years through various volunteer and professional channels. Through her experience, she has developed several training styles, to suit a broad audience.
Laurie has an environmental technology certificate, an environmental technology diploma, a B.Sc. in biology (Botany focus, Geography minor), and an M.Sc. through the Department of Geography at the University of Calgary. Laurie is registered as a Certified Engineering Technologist with the Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta, a Professional Biologist with the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists, and a Registered Professional Biologist with the BC College of Applied Biology. Both her education and her experiences have provided her with a solid multidisciplinary background.
Wetland Professional Practice Standards - Snippets
Authenticating Wetland Professionals must meet multiple levels of requirements.
Numerous competencies are required for various knowledge areas and different tasks as required under the Wetland Policy.
Using Zoom Platform
SALMTEC provides Registrants a Zoom link, and they can access the webinar three ways:
- Through a mobile app (need user acct.)
- Through a desktop app (need user acct.)
- Through a web browser (do NOT need user acct.)