Currently, no specific educational training or experience is required for individuals to practice reclamation in Alberta. This means that individuals with a wide range of training and experience are working in the reclamation field. Various industries have advised that the success of reclamation programs meeting specified criteria is variable. It is generally believed that a base set of practitioner qualifications will help to enhance reclamation success in the field and better ensure compliance with reclamation legislation in the province of Alberta.
An Alberta committee made up of members from five different professional bodies has been working for 3 years to develop certification criteria for reclamation practitioners and to propose an administration system that would run the certification program. The Alberta Institute of Agrologists initiated the review by asking David Lloyd to form a working team made up of members from other professional bodies. The Engineers, Foresters, Biologists, Agologists, Alberta Environment (initially) and the Canadian Land Reclamation Association subsequently formed a working group to develop a draft certification process and criteria for individuals practicing reclamation in Alberta. The working group developed a vision, mission and a guiding set of “principles” to focus their work.
Meetings are ongoing and will work toward developing a more complete set of educational/experience guidelines for reclamation practitioners. A reclamation certification criteria draft document, endorsed by the working group, will then be submitted to each organization for review and comment.. Each organization will then decide how they want to pursue any form of specialization/certification process.