Organic Soil Stockpile Management: Mitigating Environmental Footprints Through the Establishment of a Woody Vegetation Community of Native Boreal Species

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Alberta's boreal regions have abundant peatlands that are facing pressure from resource exploration andextraction activities. As per Alberta's Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, upland forest topsoil,organic soil from peatland areas, and subsoil with appropriate characteristics are to be salvaged and storedduring construction of in-situ facilities. Soil is a valuable resource for reclamation and may remain stored fordecades before use. Within Imperial Oil's Aspen Project study area near Ft. McMurray, Alberta, wetlands,including wooded coniferous bogs, fens, and swamps, cover 77% of the study area. Construction of accessroads, borrow pits, and the central processing facility has led to several large stockpiles of organic soil. Whilecommon practices have been developed for stockpiles of mineral origin, less is known about the effect of soilsalvage, stockpiling, and vegetation management on organic soil properties and the subsequent quality asreclamation material. This project aims to test methods to establish a woody vegetation community selectedfrom a pool of native, boreal tree and shrub species on organic soil stockpiles. In addition to common species,species of cultural significance and traditional use will be selected to test different techniques to enhancegermination and growth performance in both lab and field conditions. We will adopt and test the hitchhikerplanting method first developed for mineral soil stockpiles. We will also assess the potential of spontaneousrevegetation from nearby sources and seed banks within the salvaged soil. A productive woody vegetationcommunity can help stabilize soil and control erosion, regulate soil moisture and runoff, prevent weedinvasion, and offset greenhouse gas emissions from decomposing organic matter. Through the propermanagement of organic soil stockpiles, the industry will be able to reduce its footprint, conserve soil, andpreserve or produce high-quality reclamation material for future use. Ultimately, improved soil managementwill result in better reclamation outcomes and restoration of disturbed boreal landscape providing higherenvironmental quality for all those living in the region.