Oil sands operations disturb land—there is no way around that. But the land is not lost forever. Detailed planning to reclaim lands affected by development is initiated before the first tree is removed or the first shovel hits the ground. The goal is to ultimately return all disturbed areas to a natural state as close to pre-disturbance as possible.

Prior to the construction of a new mine, we develop a conceptual reclamation plan in consultation with local stakeholders and government regulators. The Alberta government must approve detailed reclamation plans for all new projects.

Reclamation is a carefully monitored process with two distinct components:

• transformation of oil sands tailings ponds into solid material that can support vegetation, wildlife and terrestrial reclamation, which includes landform design and soil placement
• revegetation in a way that the reclaimed landscape can support vegetation and wildlife as self-sustaining eco-systems.

Suncor pioneered the use of consolidated tailings (CT) technology to accelerate the release of water from mine tailings, significantly reducing the amount of time it takes to turn tailings into solid ground. We are currently conducting large-scale tests of new dry tailings technologies to further accelerate reclamation efforts.

Once lands are solid enough to support vegetation, the next step is to contour the land to allow for proper drainage and a natural appearance. Soil is applied, rich with native plant life, and the soil is then seeded with barley, which acts as a nurse crop to protect the young native plants that will soon begin to grow.

Native tree and shrub seedlings are planted and the soil is fertilized to give the young plants a helping hand. As the trees and shrubs take hold on the reclaimed lands, ongoing scientific monitoring is done to ensure the new forest matures into a healthy, self-sustaining ecosystem.

To date, Suncor has planted more than 3.5 million trees on reclaimed lands, all from local seed stock genetically equipped to withstand regional climate extremes. Areas planted in the 1980s are now seeing young conifer seedlings take root under mature trees—a positive sign of regeneration.

Another indicator of success is the increase in wildlife returning to reclaimed lands. Among the species spotted on Suncor's reclamation sites: the red fox, mule deer, sharp tailed grouse and Canadian Toad.

Biodiversity

Canada's boreal forest is home to the oil sands. Suncor is committed to being a good steward of the land through responsible resource development. We are taking a lead role in discussions about how to balance conservation of Canada's valuable boreal forest—one of the world's largest intact ecosystems—with responsible resource development. Suncor is a signatory to the Boreal Forest Conservation Framework—a ground-breaking national conservation vision developed by 11 First Nations, environmental groups and resource companies.

Suncor is working on a number of fronts to minimize our impact in the boreal region:

• Advanced reclamation techniques at our oil sands mining operations. These include contouring the land for a natural appearance, providing suitable drainage and minimizing erosion by planting native trees, grasses and bushes.
• Conservation of environmentally sensitive boreal habitats. Work begun by the Alberta Conservation Association and supported by the Suncor Energy Foundation has led to the protection of more than 950 acres of boreal forest surrounding Winagami Lake in Alberta's Peace Country.
• Advanced technology to minimize our footprint. In situ bitumen extraction allows Suncor to use only a fraction of the land required for conventional oil sands mining. In our natural gas operations, low-impact seismic lines and horizontal drilling help reduce our environmental footprint in sensitive areas.
• Monitoring wildlife activity. We pay close attention to how our operations affect the environment, especially wildlife. In partnership with a variety of organizations, Suncor invests in research, monitoring and conservation activities. This includes habitat restoration for caribou along our North Cabin natural gas pipeline, and post-construction avian monitoring projects and bat mortality studies at our wind farms. Suncor follows an integrated approach to landscape management and wildlife protection. And we're open to modifying our plans to help reduce impacts to wildlife.
• Working with others. Suncor proactively consults with stakeholders to continually improve on the work we are doing to preserve biodiversity.
  • Suncor regularly seeks input from our Aboriginal neighbours on reclamation initiatives.
  • We are a member of the Cumulative Environmental Management Association, a multi-stakeholder group in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, to develop and implement management tools to reduce ecosystem disturbance in the region.
  • We consult with other resource companies about how to minimize local impacts. This includes sharing access roads or using land already disturbed by previous development.
  • Suncor is a partner in a project aimed at restoring the woodland caribou herd in the west-central Alberta area of Little Smoky.