Wildlife & Conservation
Wildlife sensitivity zones, species at risk distribution ranges, key biodiversity areas, and aquatic species habitat across Alberta.
View wildlife sensitivity zones on the interactive mapKey Wildlife and Biodiversity Areas
Government of Alberta
Key Wildlife and Biodiversity Zones identify 3,449 areas in Alberta that are important for the viability and productivity of wildlife populations, based on aerial surveys, historical records, telemetry data from collared animals, and habitat type analysis. These zones define areas where mitigation strategies are generally applicable to maintain important wildlife habitat.
- •Screening project locations for wildlife-sensitive areas requiring pre-disturbance assessments.
- •Identifying seasonal wildlife restrictions (e.g., restricted activity periods for nesting, denning, or calving).
- •Supporting wildlife mitigation planning for pipeline, well, and facility development applications.
- •Determining survey requirements for wildlife species of management concern near project sites.
Rendered as polygons with category-based color coding and filtering by area type (e.g., waterfowl staging, sharp-tailed grouse lek, colonial nesting). The Reconnaissance Tool includes wildlife area intersections in its output for regulatory screening.
Species at Risk Range Maps
Government of Alberta
Species at Risk Range Maps define 244 distribution and range boundaries for wildlife species of concern in Alberta, including Greater Sage-Grouse core and recovery areas, caribou management zones, grizzly bear zones, sensitive snake hibernacula, piping plover waterbodies, trumpeter swan habitat, and other species-specific ranges. These ranges identify where species-specific mitigation strategies must be applied.
- •Determining whether a project falls within species-at-risk range boundaries for regulatory applications.
- •Identifying species-specific survey requirements (e.g., sage-grouse lek surveys, caribou range assessments).
- •Supporting compliance with federal Emergency Orders such as the Greater Sage-Grouse protection order.
- •Planning development setbacks and seasonal restrictions based on species range overlap.
Displayed as species range polygons with per-range visibility toggling and color coding. The Reconnaissance Tool includes range intersections in reports to flag which species-at-risk ranges a site falls within.
How consultants use these layers
- 1Checking wildlife sensitivity maps to determine timing restrictions and activity setbacks for field work.
- 2Identifying species at risk ranges that may require pre-disturbance assessments or mitigation plans.
- 3Incorporating wildlife habitat information into environmental impact assessments and regulatory applications.