Terasen Pipelines (Trans Mountain) Inc. Vegetation TMX - Anchor Loop Project November 2005 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY With the TMX - Anchor Loop Project (the “Project”) Terasen Pipelines (Trans Mountain) Inc. (“Terasen Pipelines”) proposes to loop a portion of its existing National Energy Board (“NEB”) regulated oil pipeline system (the “Trans Mountain pipeline” or “Trans Mountain”) to increase the capacity of the Trans Mountain pipeline to meet growing shipper demand. The Project involves the construction of 158 km of 812 mm or 914 mm (32-inch or 36-inch) diameter pipe between a location west of Hinton, Alberta at Kilometre Post/Kilometre Loop (“KP/KL") 310.1 and a location near Rearguard, British Columbia (BC) (KP/KL 468.0). The Project also includes the installation of two new pump stations at locations along the Trans Mountain pipeline, one in Alberta at Wolf (KP 188.0) and one in BC, at Chappel (KP 555.5), and the installation of associated aboveground facilities including block valves at several locations and a receiving trap for pipeline cleaning and inspection tools at a location near Rearguard, BC (KP/KL 468.0). Construction of the Project will require temporary construction camps and other temporary work yards. The Project will traverse federal, provincial and private lands, including Jasper National Park (JNP) in Alberta and Mount Robson Provincial Park (MRPP) in BC. Two pipeline route options are being assessed by Terasen Pipelines for the TMX - Anchor Loop, namely the Proposed Route and the Existing Route. Both route options are evaluated within this report. Plant surveys to identify vascular and nonvascular plants as well as communities of concern within the Project Footprint were undertaken in the spring and summer of 2005. In addition, non-native and invasive species were documented and the Ecological Land Classification was verified during the field surveys. Twenty-two species of rare vascular plants (with a provincial rank between S1 and S3) were identified along the Proposed Route and twenty-four species along the Existing Route. On the Proposed Route a total of 101 rare vascular plant populations were found, of which 8 species are ranked as S1, 12 species are ranked S2, and 2 species are ranked S3. Along the Existing Route, a total of 103 rare vascular plant populations were found, of which 7 species are ranked as S1, 15 species are ranked S2, and 2 species are ranked S3. In addition, one population of Canada anemone (considered a Valued Ecosystem Components (VEC) in the Scope and Requirements of the Environmental Assessment for the Terasen Pipelines (Trans Mountain) Inc. TMX - Anchor Loop Project (TOR) (CEA Agency et al. 2005) was found along the Existing Route, while no VEC populations were identified along the Proposed Route. Canada anemone was the only plant species considered a VEC observed during the 2005 field investigations. Sixty-two species of rare nonvascular plants were recorded along the Proposed Route and sixty-one species along the Existing Route. A total of 112 rare nonvascular plant populations were recorded on the Proposed Route, of which 16 species are ranked S1, 27 species are ranked S2, 18 species are ranked S3 and 2 species are considered rare in BC. Along the Existing Route, a total of 111 rare nonvascular plant populations were observed, of which 17 species are ranked S1, 26 species are S2, 17 species are S3 and 2 species are considered rare in BC. No nonvascular plant VECs, Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) or Species At Risk Act listed species were observed on either route. Ten plant community types of concern were found along the Proposed Route, including rare, unique and VEC communities. One S1 ranked community, five S2 communities and four S3 communities were noted along the Proposed Route, while five S2 plant communities and no S1 or S3 communities were found along the Existing Route during the vegetation surveys. Four unique plant communities (three in JNP and one in MRPP) were found along the Proposed Route, whereas only two unique plant communities were found along the Existing Route; one of which was noted in JNP and the other in MRPP. Five plant communities identified as VECs in the Scope and Requirements of the Environmental Assessment for the Terasen Pipelines (Trans Mountain) Inc. TMX - Anchor Loop Project (TOR) (Canadian Environmental Assessment (CEA) Agency et al. 2005) were found along the Proposed Route while four plant communities identified as VECs were found along the Existing Route. Estimates of salvageable timber volumes that would be cleared within the Footprint of the Proposed and Existing routes were calculated, and are not substantially different between the two route options. Although the Proposed Route would entail slightly more clearing of salvageable timber than the Existing Route in terms of volume, the area of salvageable timber that would be cleared is the same for both routes. Additional site-specific information to be collected in 2006 is also identified in the report. Page i Terasen Pipelines (Trans Mountain) Inc. Vegetation TMX - Anchor Loop Project November 2005 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The TERA/Westland staff and subconsultants responsible for the TMX - Anchor Loop Project Vegetation Program gratefully acknowledge the assistance and cooperation of Parks Canada, BC Parks, BC Conservation Data Centre, BC Ministry of Forests and Range, Alberta Sustainable Resource Development and Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre. Specifically we want to thank the following field and administrative staff: x In Jasper National Park, Thea Mitchell, Anne Forshner, Alan Westhaver, Jennifer McPhee and Jurgen Deagle; x In BC Parks, Rick Rockwell, Donna Thornton, Gail Ross, Lyle Gawalko and Wayne Van Velzen; x Jenifer Penny, Carmen Cadrin and Katrina Stipec of the BC Conservation Data Centre; x Edward Fong of the BC Ministry of Forests and Range; x In Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, Jeff Kneteman and Robin Gutsel; x Joyce Gould, Lorna Allen, John Rintoul and Drajs Vujnovic of the Alberta Natural Heritage Information Center. Numerous rare plant specialists conducted the field component of the Vegetation Program: Patrick Williston, Paula Bartemucci, Karen Golinski, Joanne Marchand, Michelle Lanois, Graham Griffiths, Roberta Yakimchuk, Beth Cornish, Kim Ottenbreit, Marge Meijer, Adrian de Groot, Kristi Iverson, Terry McIntosh, Ken Simonar, Saphida Migabo and Cal Clark. Field assistance was provided by Zane Pillipow, Brant Rowling, Valerie Kerr, Martin Edwards and Crystal Waters. The help and support of Simpcw First Nation field assistants Jeff Eustache and Darrell Eustache is also acknowledged. The Simpcw field personnel enthusiastically participated in the rare vascular plant and plant community surveys. We thank all of the field staff for their hard work and interest in this Project. Page ii Terasen Pipelines (Trans Mountain) Inc. Vegetation TMX - Anchor Loop Project November 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................... I 1.0 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Route Options ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Proposed Route ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1.2 Existing Route........................................................................................................ 3 1.2 Regulatory Standards ......................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Goals of the Report............................................................................................................. 7 2.0 METHODOLOGY............................................................................................................................. 8 2.1 Study Area Boundaries ....................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Literature Review and Consultation.................................................................................... 8 2.3 Data Collection.................................................................................................................... 8 2.3.1 Baseline Data Collection........................................................................................ 8 2.3.2 Field Data Collection............................................................................................ 10 2.4 Data Interpretation ............................................................................................................ 14 3.0 SETTING........................................................................................................................................ 16 3.1 Overall Project................................................................................................................... 16 3.2 Alberta / Jasper National Park (KP 310 to KP 406).......................................................... 18 3.3 Mount Robson Provincial Park / British Columbia (KP 406 to KP 468)............................ 19 4.0 RESULTS....................................................................................................................................... 21 4.1 Proposed Route ...............................................................................................................