A policy is a deliberate system of guidelines to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes. A policy is a statement of intent and is implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies and protocols represent the foundation of effective management.

With more than 80 years of collective experience, the staff of 5SSR have been retained by numerous agencies to help develop policies and protocols. With 5SSR’s extensive experience in impact assessment for works in and around water, 5SSR staff led the development of the Fish and Fish Habitat Impacts Assessment Tool (FFHIAT), which standardizes assessments and reporting for pipeline and associated temporary vehicle crossing projects to be compliant with the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act. At the provincial level, 5SSR staff developed regulatory guidance documents that outline federal, provincial, and municipal permitting requirements for works in and around water. Recently, 5SSR Staff have worked with DFO to develop new protocols for monitoring to determine the effectiveness of habitat offsetting and banking projects in both lakes and rivers. 5SSR staff have also worked with DFO to develop monitoring protocols to determine the success/failure of avoidance and mitigation measures, as well as develop a standard regulatory review approach using DFO’s Pathways of Effects.

The following project profiles outline some of this work.

• Review of Aquatic Habitat Restoration Regulations and policies under the Fisheries Act, Aquatic Habitat Canada (AHC), Ottawa, ON

• Monitoring Protocols to Determine the Success or Failure of Habitat Offsetting and Banking Projects, DFO, Edmonton, AB

• Development of the Fish and Fish Habitat Impact Assessment Tool (FFHIAT) for the Pipeline Associated