AJM Environmental was contracted by a major North American energy infrastructure company to conduct Caribou habitat monitoring for various energy projects including a mainline expansion along a pipeline corridor.

The scope of work provided by AJM includes:

• Remote camera monitoring: Deployment of 40 cameras across the pipeline corridors and offset areas to track human, predator, and prey use of the rights-of-way and to evaluate access control effectiveness; 

• LiDAR and nadir imagery: Aerial data collection to assess vegetation recovery, canopy closure, and line-of-sight conditions along the ROW. This data will be integrated with ground monitoring to evaluate restoration targets; 

• Ground-based vegetation monitoring: Field surveys to assess seedling density, growth, native species cover, and invasive species presence; and

• Data analysis and reporting of findings during each year of project activities and final reporting after monitoring has concluded. 

AJM Environmental was contracted by TC Energy Corporation (TC), an affiliate with Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. (Nova Gas), in 2023 to provide environmental consulting services for the final construction clean-up efforts of the NGTL North Central Expansion, North Central Corridor Loop (North Star 2) in northern Alberta. The North Star 2 pipeline section was approximately 24km in length and was a Canada Energy Regulator (CER) regulated project.

The scope of work provided by AJM included:

• Pre-construction wildlife sweeps (including migratory bird nest sweeps) in June and July 2023.

• Migratory bird nest mitigation guidance in June and July 2023.

• Amphibian mitigation guidance and salvages in June and July 2023.

• Implementation of the projects’ Environmental Protection Plan.

AJM was contracted by a major North American energy infrastructure company to provide post-construction wildlife monitoring services for a pipeline in northern BC for five years. The pipeline is a British Columbia Energy Regulator (BCER) regulated project. 

The scope of work provided by AJM includes remote camera monitoring, aerial monitoring (helicopter surveys), LiDAR and 360° imagery, ground-based vegetation monitoring, data analysis and reporting.   

Since 2010, AJM’s Senior Fisheries Biologist has provided technical instruction of a WorkSafeBC approved certification-level backpack electrofishing course to over 500 students, First Nations members, as well as staff from government, non-profit, consulting and industry sectors throughout Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. Instruction of the Electrofishing Certification Program, on behalf of the Natural Resources Training Group (and prior to that the Natural Resources Extension Program of Vancouver Island University), has included theory and practical components focusing on the safe and effective application of electricity for the capture of live fish specimens in support of inventory, salvage, or research programs.

AJM provided strategic senior professional support to the Coastal GasLink Project from 2019 - 2021. As a sub-contractor, AJM fisheries staff developed management plans in support of federal regulatory reviews (Fisheries Act), including instream blasting (use of explosives), beaver dam removal and end-of-pipe screening.

AJM also provided senior review of the Project’s Request for Review packages submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada and provided support to project compensation planning.

Under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA), mineable oil sands developments are required to outline a Life of Mine Closure Plan (LMCP), detailing how conservation and reclamation will be planned for throughout the life of the project. AJM was retained to research and write the Biodiversity section of the Life of Mine Closure Plan for the Kearl Oilsands Project.  

Using information from aquatic and wildlife monitoring reports, pre-disturbance assessments, regional information, scientific literature, and previous LMCP’s, AJM delivered a comprehensive report conforming to updated content and formatting requirements outlined by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER). Following guidance under the AER’s Direction for Conservation and Reclamation Submissions (2018) AJM defines target biodiversity elements on the reclaimed landscape, describes overarching plans for creating habitat for fish and wildlife target species, and how biodiversity targets will be met.

Jamac Painting & Sandblasting Ltd. (Jamac) retained AJM to provide environmental consulting for the Bleriot Ferry Rehabilitation Project near Munson, AB in 2023. Critical deliverables were to include:

• Environmental Construction Operations (ECO) Plan; 

• Bird Management Plan (BMP), including a Wildlife Survey and Sweep of the area; and 

• Weed Survey and Weed Infestation map. 

AJM crafted an ECO plan compliant with current laws, regulations, permits, and the ECO Plan Framework. It covered all environmental aspects identified by the Environmental Risk Assessment, including Clubroot and Whirling Disease control methods, a Temporary Erosion and Sediment Control Plan, and a Bird Management Plan (BMP). The plan, once reviewed and revised in response to the Project administrator's feedback, included a Clubroot Management Plan adhering to Alberta Agriculture standards and a Whirling Disease protocol based on AEP guidelines.

AJM was contracted by TC Energy in 2023 to provide environmental monitoring support for the construction of the Turner Valley, Longview, and Lundbreck sections of the Foothills West Path Delivery natural gas pipeline system in southwestern Alberta. 

The scope of work provided by AJM included: 

• Early season raptor surveys to follow Restricted Activity Period (RAP) timing; 

• Pre-construction migratory bird nest sweeps; 

• Amphibian mitigation guidance and salvages; 

• Mountain Goat and Bighorn Sheep surveys and mitigation on Lundbreck; and 

• Assisting Environmental Inspectors with implementation of Environmental Protection Plans. 

Cenovus Energy Inc. (Cenovus) retained AJM to conduct a bathymetric survey of five waterbodies located at the Foster Creek Thermal Project (FCTP). Cenovus operates the FCTP steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) scheme for the recovery of bitumen, consisting of well pads, pipelines, a central processing facility, and associated infrastructure. The project was completed to assist Cenovus with a revised thermal screening to meet the Directive for the Assessment of Thermally-Mobilized Constituents in Groundwater for the Assessment of Thermal In Situ Operations.

The scope of work included the following:  

• Site selection and methodology development; 

• Field data collection; and 

• Data analysis and reporting.  

AJM successfully proposed the development of a mobile fish habitat application for the Water Strategy Department at Teck Coal Ltd (Teck). The app is intended for Teck personnel and contractors collecting field data related to aquatic habitat and riparian vegetation. Key features of the app include GPS integration, photo capture, customizable forms, offline data collection, offline maps, collaboration and sharing, data export and reporting, and user management. The app is being developed by AJM’s programming team for iOS and Android for broad utilization. The app will integrate with ESRI’s ArcGIS Survey123 and Field Maps apps. The project's overriding objective is to provide Teck with a mobile app that enables efficient and accurate data collection in the field, alongside real-time monitoring and data visualization through a custom dashboard.

AJM Environmental Inc. was retained by a major exploration & production company to assess whether satellite-derived image analysis could be used to enable the early detection of tree stress caused by infrastructure within two of their steam-assisted gravity drainage projects. The critical deliverable for this project was a report that detailed:

• An analysis of the benefits and limitations of different analysis frameworks (indices and classification analyses);

• An assessment of the benefits and limitations of different sources of imagery;

• An assessment of the predictive accuracy of different image analysis techniques; and

• Recommendation for ongoing analysis.

Farmboy Landscaping and Maintenance (Farmboy) retained AJM to provide ongoing wildlife and aquatic services for various road and bridge construction projects from 2021 to present. AJM’s support includes but is not limited to Environmental Construction Operations (ECO) Plan development, wildlife surveys and sweeps, migratory bird nest sweeps, water quality monitoring (total suspended solids testing), monitoring water diversion activities, QAES support, and fish salvages.

AJM has developed a strong working relationship with one of its international oil and gas exploration and production clients to assist their development team with overcoming environmental and regulatory challenges and approvals with new energy development projects, specifically on the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Suffield in southeastern Alberta.  

The current scope of work includes:

• Desktop review of background environmental data;

• Scouting of best routes and locations for placement of pipelines and well sites;

• Completion of field assessments including wetlands, wildlife, and vegetation;...

AJM was contracted by the City of Calgary’s Parks and Open Spaces Unit to produce a ten-year Habitat Management Plan for Douglasdale Natural Environment Park, a 47ha park located adjacent to the Bow River in southeast Calgary. The primary objective of a Habitat Management Plan is to outline a clear strategy and timeline for the management of the ecological health and function of the park, and to ensure that biodiversity and climate resilience outcomes can be achieved more effectively. 

The scope of work included reconnaissance site visits to the park and a thorough desktop review of background data, including ecological surveys, health assessments, biophysical impact assessments, historical aerial photos, and GIS data. AJM worked in collaboration with the City of Calgary to incorporate contributor engagement from various stakeholders, including public park users.

AJM was contracted by TC Energy to provide environmental consulting services for the construction of the Elko and Yahk sections of the Foothills West Path Delivery natural gas pipeline in southeastern British Columbia (BC). The Elko and Yahk sections are approximately 32km and 12.5km in length, respectively, and are located in the mountains adjacent to the towns from which they are named. The technical scope of the services provided by AJM on these projects included:

• Pre-construction wildlife sweeps (including migratory bird nest sweeps) on both the Elko and Yahk sections;

TC Energy retained AJM Environmental Inc. (AJM) to provide construction monitoring support for development of their KXL pipeline in southeastern Alberta. This scope of work included migratory bird nest sweeps, sensitive raptor nest monitoring, amphibian salvages, snake relocation and monitoring, and verifying rare plants and rare ecological communities.

AJM was approached by Paskwa Consultants Ltd. to perform a statistical analysis of vegetation survey data related to leafy spurge treatments on short notice. Data from eight sites, each with pre- and post-treatment surveys, were analyzed to assess the impact of different control methods on vegetation composition.

AJM conducted the following analyses:

• Comparison of leafy spurge cover;

• Comparison of functional group cover;

• Bray–Curtis Dissimilarity Analysis; and

• Shannon–Wiener Diversity Analysis.

Trout Unlimited Canada hired AJM to assess the Upper Trout Creek watershed for reclamation planning of aquatic and riparian habitats. Recommendations by Qualified Aquatic Environmental Specialists (QAES) focused on bank reconstruction, vegetation, erosion control, and channel re-alignment to mitigate impacts on fish habitats from human activities (e.g., OHV trails, cattle grazing) and natural events (e.g., flooding, bank erosion).

Cenovus Energy Inc. retained AJM to develop and complete an Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA) regulated Wetland Monitoring Program (WMP) for three of their steam assisted gravity drainage recovery projects: Christina Lake Thermal Project (CLTP), Narrows Lake Thermal Project (NLTP), and Foster Creek Thermal Project (FCTP). AJM started completion of this monitoring in 2016 and has been completing them annually since that time.  

The scope of work includes the following:  

• WMP proposal development for submission and approval by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER);

• Site selection and establishment; 

• Annual hydrology and vegetation monitoring; 

• Data analysis; and 

• Reporting, including comprehensive monitoring reports every three years for submission to the AER. 

AJM's involvement in integrity dig projects encompasses identifying environmental prerequisites for wildlife, wetlands, aquatic life, vegetation, and soil within Alberta. Initially, a thorough desktop review is performed to ascertain these requirements. The identification of wildlife requirements is conducted in accordance with the Public Lands Act, Wildlife Act, Species at Risk Act, and Migratory Birds Convention Act. Supporting field assessments for these acts involve Wildlife Surveys, Wildlife Sweeps, and Migratory Bird Nest Sweeps.