The Government of Alberta’s site inspection data spans 40 years, revealing a decline in annual reports from 120 in the ’90s to 30 more recently. Approximately 25,000 volunteer hours contributed to this data, which the SAPAA aims to improve for better conservation outcomes. Government Stewards can reclaim their inspection reports.

1. Where the Data Came From
2. Another Day, Another Inspection
3. Buying 25,000 Hours Time
4. Who Gave us 25,000 Hours?
5. Reclaiming Your Inspections
6. Annex – Consulting Rate Environmental Inspector Alberta

Take a look at the above graphic. It is based on nearly 40 years of site inspection data conducted by Government of Alberta Volunteer Stewards, or since 2023, SAPAA Stewards. In the 1990’s and early aughts* about 120 site inspection reports were submitted each year. Fast forward a decade and this number dropped to about 40 and then 30 in the following decade.

[* What do you call the years from 2000 to 2010, 1st decade, noughts, early 2000s?.]

Where the Data Came From

The above data is mostly from the Government of Alberta and a database system they built and ran in a database. Early this year, SAPAA asked for and received an extract from the system which is believed to be current.

So, before going further, a huge thank you to the Province who shared 40-years of inspections. To be able to do so and still meet provincial privacy laws, some details were redacted or removed. This included the name of the Steward and other personal details. Still, the data is a historical gold mine for Alberta’s Protected Areas.

Another Day, Another Inspection

The data from Paradox is organized around inspections. Each one involved volunteer effort. It takes about a day to visit a site. A volunteer has to plan to go, get there, inspect the site, and then file the report. Certainly some inspections are much less and some much more – but an eight-hour day is a good ballpark average.

This of course means that about 3,100 effort days were spent collecting this information over the past 40-years or about 25,000 of volunteer hours. Was the information of value, maybe. The Miistakis Report – What Did We Learn? noted that “the program lacks evaluative tracking metrics, and therefore the conservation impact of the program to natural areas is not well documented nor measurable.”

Translation: there was a lack of continuous improvement to ensure the data collected was both reasonable to do so by a volunteer and that it was of value to the government. This is an issue SAPAA seeks to tackle by reviewing the questions asked each year to ensure an inspection strikes a compromise between what is possible for a lay person to collect and what information decisions makers need to have.

Buying 25,000 Hours Time

Setting aside this challenge, what would it have cost to collect this information? Ignoring inflation and time value of money, about $625,000. That is 25,000 hours at a rate of $25/hour (for a junior consultant) or $625,000. The SAPAA site inspections that have run since 2023 would have cost at least $25,000 (122 days X 8/hours/day X $25/hour = $25,000 or about $200/day). See the Annex below for justification of the $25/hour rate.

These financial amounts are of course fictional. The 25,000 hours were freely given and each Steward enjoyed spending a few hours outdoors. Still, applying a monetary value helps to contextualize this gift of time (not to mention the gas in the volunteer’s car!).

Who Gave us 25,000 Hours?

So who are the people who gave the province 25,000 hours? For the most part, we don’t know. 75 of the nearly 2,900 inspections have been ‘reclaimed’ by a member of the SAPAA board and can be seen in the following graphic. The remaining 2,800 inspections are assigned to ‘Redacted’ before transferring the data to SAPAA.

Reclaiming Your Inspections

If you are part of the redacted group, you can ‘reclaim’ your inspections. This is the subject of the next post: Reclaiming 40 Years of Stewardship.

Annex – Consulting Rate Environmental Inspector Alberta

Where did the $25/hour come from? It is a low ball estimate of what it would cost to field an environmental consultant. It also excludes travel costs which can easily add $50 to $100 to each trip assuming a $0.75/KM mileage rate. The following is from ChatGPT and its analysis of the market rate for this expertise.

As of late 2024 and mid-2025, environmental inspectors and consultants in Alberta typically earn an average hourly wage between 

$28 and $41, depending on their specific role and experience level. However, consulting rates can vary widely based on the scope of the project, seniority, and specific expertise. Based on recent market data, you can expect to see the following ranges for hourly rates:

• Environmental Inspector: ZipRecruiter reports an average hourly rate of around $27.79, but this can range from approximately $20 to over $50, influenced by experience and job complexity.
• Intermediate Environmental Consultant: Indeed lists pay for this role between $30 and $37 per hour.
• Environmental Consultant: Job Bank Canada, using 2022-2023 data, shows a median hourly wage of $40.87 in Alberta, with a high end of nearly $55/hour. Payscale lists an average of $32/hour for environmental consultants in Canada.
• Senior Professionals: Senior-level environmental engineers or project managers with extensive experience can command significantly higher rates. Some job postings and reports show hourly rates well into the $40 to $50+ range. 

The total cost for environmental consulting services depends on the project’s specifics, not just a simple hourly rate. Factors that can change the rate include: 

• Experience level: Inspectors and consultants with more years of experience and specialized knowledge will charge a higher rate.
• Project type and complexity: Standard inspections or assessments will cost less than complex remediation projects that require detailed planning and long-term oversight.
• Project duration: For larger jobs, consultants may offer a fixed price rather than an hourly rate. Small, quick jobs may have a half-day minimum charge.
• Firm vs. independent consultant: Rates can differ between large consulting firms, smaller local companies, and independent consultants.
• Additional expenses: Costs for travel, lab testing, and other direct expenses are typically added to the final bill.