This report provides the monitoring protocols for forested land wellsites to determine if a reclaimed site has returned to similar structure and function as found in a representative undisturbed reference area or in the pre-disturbance site. These protocols have been adapted from the Pilot Program report Ecological Recovery Monitoring of Certified Wellsites: Field Data Collection Protocols for Native Grasslands. A separate report contains the Field Data Sheets to be used in conjunction with these protocols.
The sampling design and protocols sample two different areas within a single assessment unit (called the Monitoring Site): the wellsite, and a reference area (i.e., a paired comparison design). For the purposes of this protocol, the wellsite is restricted to the disturbance footprint of the well pad. The reference area, selected so as not to have a footprint of human disturbance, is the reference against which ecological recovery is assessed.