Connecting the strategic to the tactical in SEA design: an approach to wetland conservation policy development and implementation in an urban context

Abstract

The paper presents an analytical approach to strategic environmental assessment (SEA), focused on bridging the strategic level assessment of policy objectives with tactical planning and implementation. This is done within the context of an applied SEA application for urban wetland policy development and implementation in the fast growing city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An expert-based strategic assessment framework was developed and applied to assess the potential implications of alternative wetland conservation policy targets on urban planning goals, and to identify a preferred conservation policy target. Site-specific algorithms, based on wetland area and wetland sustainability, were then developed and applied to prioritize individual wetlands for conservation so as to meet policy targets within urban planning units. Results indicate a preferred wetland conservation policy target, beyond which higher conservation targets provide no additional benefit to sustainable urban development goals. The use of different implementation strategies, based on wetland area vs. wetland sustainability, provides operational guidance and choice for planners to meet the policy objectives within neighbourhood planning units, but those choices have implications for local land use and wetland sustainability.