A combination road map and high-level requirements for the next major version of the Site Inspection Report application (SIR-SAPAA). A future version will support Crown Lease organizations with enhanced asset tracking and volunteer safety. A roadmap outlines expansions into broader areas and user integration, extending beyond Alberta.

In the Spring of 2026, SAPAA launched version 1.0 of the Site Inspection Report (SIR) application (SIR-SAPAA). This initial version was demonstrated at the SIR Dragon – March 19, 2026 event. Readers unfamiliar with SIR-SAPAA are encouraged to visit this page for an overview of the application.

Fall 2026 – Versions 2 and 3

A huge thank you to the team and their predecessors who helped to create version 1.0 of the application (see: Student & Volunteer Thank You Page). A new team has fixed a few bugs (v1.1). They are now working on version 2 and 3.

Version 2 has two parts. The first is to improve Person Management and the second to provide GIS information within the application via Map Management. Person Management is critical as it improves the validity and trust associated with a report. The fact that ‘Bob’ has made significant contributions improves his standing within the app’s community. One of the things that ‘Bob’ can do is include GPS tracks of where he went and GIS points to highlight what he saw.

For example, while exploring the Gull Lake Provincial Recreational Area (not part of WAERNAHR), he drops a pin on a make shift camp found within the site (see graphic above). This information will now be available to all app users. While exploring the site, they can keep an eye out for the camp or note if it has been dismantled.

Version 3, Site Management, allows for management of site pages within the app. A newly designated site can be added, an area de-listed removed, and links and additional information updated.

Initial Versions, Exploring WAERNAHR

SAPAA’s primary focus is a field organization. It visits WAERNAHR Sites and reports on their state. By doing so, it hopes to influence public opinion and government policy for these areas. If SAPAA restricted itself to only WAERNAHR lands, SIR-SAPAA version 3 could be the final one.

It might be handy to have a phone based application but the reality is that the current web based version works fine assuming the user has a phone data plan. For the traditional WAERNAHR natural areas, development should stop at version 3.0.

Through the Looking Lease

Some WAERNAHR areas are being actively managed through a Crown Lease. Examples include Wagner, Riverlot 56, or Clifford E. Lee. Nonprofits hold the Crown Leases for these sites and are responsible for their management. These organizations may create trails, post signs, provide services such as an outhouse, garbage collection, or a parking lot.

All of these things are improvements and assets the society has to manage. Version 4 and possibly version 5 will support these organizations through asset tracking, more precise site condition reporting, and tracking volunteer activity. While there is overlap with the existing app functionality, in many cases, what is needed is a mirror image. Signage is a good example.

A SAPAA volunteer visiting a Natural Area is asked to report whether or not they see signs indicating the site as such. This volunteer is not asked to report if they did NOT see a sign that should have been there. For a Crown Lease holder, NOT seeing a sign may indicate that it was vandalized, blew down, or was somehow lost. The absence of an observation may initiate an action, such as installing a new sign.

The list could go on. A casual visitor may note there are trails in a site. A Crown Lease volunteer may note that the same trail needs to be maintained or that another trail needs to be blocked to prevent braiding and erosion.

Site Management High Level Requirements

Version 4 to 5 will incorporate the following technical structures and business processes. Version 4 will hopefully launched in Spring of 2027 and Version 5 in the Fall of 2027. A proof of concept (PoC) for the application will be created in the Fall Semester of 2026.

• Legal Structure: Creation of a data structure to manage the legal ownership of a parcel. Initially, this is limited to Alberta public land but this structure needs to accommodate potential additions such as Federal Crownland, municipal parks, or publicly accessible private land such as areas owned by a land trust.
• Tailored Management Experience: Every Site Management circumstance is unique. While a base line or common functionality can be created, some customization is necessary. For example, one lease may allow for overnight camping, fires, and infrastructure. Another lease forbids these things.
• Person Management: Select users will have additional rights and access within a Crown Lease’s section of the app. Below the super user, some can update the status of a site, or CRUD users. Development of common roles across different Crown Lease sites is critical; provision of customized roles is discouraged except for when there is a compelling need.
• Media, Asset, and GIS Management: Volunteers need more information. Returning to the sign example, what did the sign look like, where was it located, how was it secured, when was it installed, etc. Some of these things can be done within the current version of the application (e.g. uploading photos, map management), others may require specialized fields (work order and installation notes).
• Volunteer Safety and Work Management: Nonprofits must show compliance to OHS. More importantly, they must have systems in place that make safety invisible to operations as much as possible. For example, to re-install the missing sign, the app will create a work order. A volunteer ‘picks’ this activity. To do so, they must be certified to do the work. Once the work is completed, the work assignment is closed and the app updated (e.g. a new photo of the sign).
• In Depth Biophysical Monitoring: The health of the site will be managed by more in depth reporting. For example, the existence of an invasive plant species will be highlighted and volunteers near this location nudged to make note of the extent of the incursion. Alternatively, an annual Fuel Hazard assessment may be done by qualified volunteers.

Beyond the Crown Lease

The above activities are expected to consume the remaining capacity of the Fall 2026 and Winter 2027 CMPT 401 teams. Because these teams become more productive each semester (due to things like AI), the following provides a road map through to the end of 2030.

The first few bullets are either a recap or are sequential. Order becomes less important as the bullets progress.

• WAERNAHR Phase (versions 1 to 3, In Progress): WAERNAHR focus. Existing sites, legacy reports, AS-IS and better Google Form functionality. Basic gamification. Integration to iNaturalist.
• Site Management Phase (versions 4 to 5’ish): Helping organizations with a Crown Lease (e.g. Wagner, Riverlot 56) meet their obligations and monitor the health of the respective site.
• Volunteer Capacity: Safety and capacity tools for both WAERNAHR and Crown Lease activities. Includes existing training developed by SAPAA, its safety program, and additional training and certification offered by third parties. Ability to store certificates and qualifications (e.g. chain saw or ATV operations).
• Connected for Conservation: Building on the work done in the WAERNAHR Phase, increased connection to other online databases such as iNaturalist, NatureWatch, ebird, Pl@netNet, Merlin, Orvik, etc. The focus is on integration and user education rather than reproducing existing content.
• Knowledge Keeper: Managing content and knowledge about a specific site and accessible through the application. Knowledge may include links to external sites, curated stories and images, documents, and traditional expertise. Such knowledge improves the connection of a place to a person via multiple generations and sources.
• Beyond Public Land: Expanding the catchment of sites to include Federal Crown Land and publicly accessible private land. The latter includes those held by the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Ducks Unlimited, the Alberta Conservation Association, the Edmonton Area Land Trust, etc.
• Beyond Alberta: Expand the tool to a jurisdiction outside of the Alberta. This may be a Canadian province, US State, or further afield.

Proof of Concept – Fall 2026

Advisory Panel

An ad hoc advisory panel will be formed with members from 3-5 interested SAPAA Members or organizations with relevant expertise. The Government of Alberta will be encouraged to send observers or be a full participant. Industry experts may also be asked to serve on the group as well as SAPAA student alumni.

The committee will meet 2-4 times between November 1, 2026 and January 2027. Time commitment is expected to be under 5-6 hours in total across this time period with no ongoing commitment from the members. A Version 4.0 committee will be constituted and may include some or all of the original advisory committee.

Proof of Concept Focus

The proof of concept will attempt to model the needs of several organizations. In order of priority they are as follows noting that one organization may play multiple roles.

1. A Crown Lease holder for a WAERNAHR property.
2. Organizations with good expertise in OHS compliance and a safe working environment.
3. One site with heavy nearby urban use and another site that is relatively remote.
4. A site with assets such as trails, signage, gates, snow clear, track setting, buildings, etc.
5. An organization managing their own, non-Crown, site. For example a land trust.
6. Entities sharing responsibility for a site across multiple organizations such as the province, Federal Government, land trusts, governments, First Nations, and private land owners.

Proof of Concept Plan

Ideally PoC’s follow a six step process as follows:

1. What was the Business problem being addressed?
   • How does a small nonprofit continue to maintain a site, open to the public, despite costs and risks that continue to escalate year over year while resources (Time, Talent, and Treasure) continue to shrink
2. How is the problem currently being solved?
   • Each organization is managing the activities in their own way and typically manually.
   • Many organizations are getting closer to a point of failure as stalwart volunteers age out and are not replaced.
   • Sites are close to the public or access is restricted. Alternatively, the site falls into disuse and abuse.
3. The Question
   • How can an application help an organization reduce the burden of volunteering in managing a site?
4. What were the results at the end of the project (hypothesized results listed below)?
   • A standardized site management application can mitigate some of the costs and risks to an organization.
   • Highest value, lowest cost areas include trail and asset tracking, OHS compliance for volunteers, training and certification, and supporting institutional memory.
5. What are the next steps?
   • Create a proof of concept application to be tested in the field in December 2026.
   • The application covers 2 or business requirements noted above.
   • Collect comments and feedback on the build from an expert advisory panel, update requirements for the Winter 2027 build cycle.
   • Decide next steps.
6. What is the Future Vision, What is Possible?
   • Functionality of the PoC exists within a third party application and organizations purchase licenses accordingly.
   • A consortium of sorts forms to manage the SIR-SAPAA app and is available to bona fide organizations.
   • The underlying business requirements are not the problem to be solved and/or the application fails to address them.s