Services // Reclamation

Steve Mailath, M.Sc., P.Geol.
<br />Principal Hydrogeologist
Hi, I’m Chris Tenszen, Practice Area Lead, Reclamation, here at Trace Associates. Our reclamation approach is to look for outcomes that satisfy regulatory needs and benefit the environment while remaining cost-effective. There is flexibility in how to reclaim sites on forested lands and native grasslands, and our Reclamation team is always on the lookout for innovative, practical, and mutually beneficial solutions for our clients. This includes staying current with trends and opportunities and maintaining relationships with regulators, clients, and suppliers.

Trace is a reclamation leader in Western Canada. Our team takes great pride in reclaiming sites in shorter timeframes and a cost-conscious manner, regardless of their complexity or location. Whether you have one site or hundreds, our goal is to provide closure for our clients and allow them to invest in new capital projects and satisfaction for landowners so they can utilize the land again.

Reclamation

  • Pre-construction site assessments
  • Detailed site assessments
  • Reclamation Certificate and Certificate of Restoration applications
  • Vegetation management
  • Reclamation monitoring
  • Regulatory reporting
  • Erosion and sediment control design, installation, and monitoring

Revegetation

  • Multi-disciplinary teams providing technical and compliance support for all revegetation projects (forested, native prairie, and cultivated) in Western Canada
  • Providing full-service revegetation management: pre- and post-disturbance assessments, revegetation prescriptions, coordination of revegetation material acquisition, contractor supervision, post-treatment monitoring and assessments, and regulatory reporting
  • Extensive experience and relationships with nurseries, seed providers, and contractors to cost effectively manage projects of all sizes and scopes
  • Experience in using a variety of revegetation techniques: herbaceous seeding, deciduous and coniferous seedling planting, deciduous staking, natural seed cone induction, and the use of fertilizers and soil amendments
  • Tracking safety, environmental, and regulatory reporting matters
  • Aggressive scheduling of revegetation activities while mitigating deficiencies promotes timely reclamation certification

Vegetation
Management

  • Certified pesticide/herbicide applicators on staff
  • Personnel are cross-trained to conduct other tasks while at your site
  • Emphasis on planning and client collaboration
  • Field assessments are conducted as part of the initial and subsequent monitoring requirements, where possible
  • Trace can act as the prime consultant to coordinate sub-contractors for weed control work

Erosion & Sediment
Control

  • Focus on addressing the root cause of erosion and preventing erosion before it starts
  • Multiple perspectives from a multi-disciplinary team
  • Extensive experience with mitigation and repair of erosion caused by wind and/or water
  • Variety of projects with multiple factors including, sandy or windblown sites, surface and subsurface water flow causing slumps and seeps, steep slopes that limit vegetation growth
  • Experience with installation of retaining walls, sediment stops, erosion-control matting, hydroseeding, and a wide variety of other products
  • Select correct vegetation to withstand long term exposure to adverse conditions (i.e., steep slopes, poor soil quality)

Post-Construction
Reclamation

  • Post-construction reclamation assessments (PCRAs) and subsequent follow-up pipeline reclamation in Western Canada, including National Energy Board regulated pipelines
  • Emphasis on planning and client collaboration
  • Regulatory agency consultation during project planning
  • Field assessments are conducted as part of the initial and subsequent monitoring requirements, where possible
  • Trace can act as the prime consultant to coordinate sub-contractors for utility locating and reclamation equipment work
  • Experienced personnel coordinate and manage any remaining reclamation work that may be required to quickly remedy issues
  • The most significant challenge among many PCRAs is the mixed land uses, as well as landowner communications and concerns. With Trace, we like to keep our project personnel as consistent and experienced as possible to properly manage these challenges

what our clients are saying

“We like Trace. We like Ron, we like Nick, and we like the relationships we’ve built on our projects with them. They have a suite of services that cover the ecological and environmental, and they have demonstrated that they understand what needs to be done, aren’t doing unnecessary work, and they make sure it gets done. Ron told me that the Trace motto is to 'consult better.' This motto is reflected in the service they provide.”

Clark | Qualico Communities

“I appreciate Trace’s candidness, honesty, and straightforwardness. The communication is strong, they are always professional, and they stay on point. They’re good at what they do and are always available when I need them.”

Confidential Client

“Trace provides a level of personal service that we don’t get from other companies. We get straightforward, open communication with Project Managers, including frequent touch-points. Trace always does what they say they are going to do.”

Neil Reid | Midstream Energy Client

“I choose Trace because of their expertise and clarity on what they will deliver, and my trust in them. We share similar values of honesty and communication. They’re very thoughtful in what they do and their expertise is very appreciated. Nothing they do or say leaves you scratching your head.”

Warn Franklin | works with Ron at Trace

“I value our relationship with Trace and can see it continuing into the future.  Having a third party come in to do environmental inspections is very helpful and gives added focus on areas that might otherwise be neglected due to the busy nature of the business. Trace's expertise in the Environmental Consultant field helps keep NorSask on a path of continuous improvement. We very much appreciate the proactive approach that Trace takes to meet our needs.”

Kelly | NorSask