Lacombe County Council endorsed the 2018 State of the Environment Report at their last meeting. Rewritten for 2018, the State of the Environment Report (SOE) offers a glimpse into the current conditions of the environment. Using a combination of scientific data and socio-economic factors, the report also provides insight into the various pressures impacting Lacombe County.
“Our original intent was to develop a full-scale revision of the State of the Environment Report,” said Jennifer Berry, Lacombe County Environmental Coordinator. “However, there wasn’t enough new data and research released over the past five years to warrant a fully revised SOE, so we focused the 2018 report on the ways Lacombe County has progressed with environmental stewardship and management since 2013.”
Lacombe County recognizes the importance of the environment and is aware of the role it plays in being a responsible steward of the land. Some highlights of the County’s work includes:
- Climate Resiliency Action Plan – In February 2018, Lacombe County held a Climate Resilience Action Plan Workshop. This workshop provided the County with crucial past and future climate data and helped to create a region-specific action plan.
- ALUS Lacombe County – Since its inception in 2017, the program has supported eight projects.
- Transformation of Crooker Pit into Crooker Wetland, including land reclamation, topsoil placement, and vegetation planting.
- Municipal Development Plan update – In 2017, several of the significant changes were made within the document to support environmental stewardship.
Anyone interested in learning more about the current conditions of the environment in Lacombe County, including water quality of recreational lakes, wildlife and biodiversity, and waste generation and disposal, are encouraged to read the State of the Environment Report. It can be found on the Lacombe County website (www.lacombecounty.com), and hard copies are available by contacting Lacombe County (403-782-6601).
Backgrounder: State of the Environment Report
Lacombe County is committed to a healthy environment for current and future generations. The Environmental Policy is intended to unify Lacombe County’s vision in order to guide the actions of the County, the staff, the Councillors and the consultants that work for us to ensure the environment is conserved, protected and enhanced as well as in balance with social and economic needs.
What is the State of the Environment Report?
Launched in 2013, this document provides a snapshot of the current conditions of the environment in which we live, work and play. It also provides insight into the stresses that impact our environment.
What is the report’s purpose?
The State of the Environment Report is a valuable management tool for Lacombe County because it helps us to determine:
- The current state or condition of our county’s environment
- The pressures impacting the environment
- The effect of management actions on environmental conditions in the local area
In addition to scientific data, we have examined the impacts of Lacombe County’s social and economic factors to provide a complete overview of the environment and trends that are impacting it – from water and air quality, to stormwater and waste generation.
What can you do?
Anyone interested in learning more about the current conditions of the environment in Lacombe County including water quality of recreational lakes, stormwater management, air quality, wildlife and biodiversity, and waste generation and disposal are encouraged to read the State of the Environment Report.
It can be found on the Lacombe County website (www.lacombecounty.com), and hard copies are available by contacting Lacombe County (403- 782-6601).