Supplemental Vegetation Survey for the Provident Energy Pipeline Inc

SUPPLEMENTAL VEGETATION SURVEY FOR THE PROVIDENT ENERGY PIPELINE INC. BEATTON RIVER REPLACEMENT PROJECT

August 2011 6873

Prepared for: Prepared by:

Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. TERA Environmental Consultants A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of Provident Energy Ltd. Suite 1100, 815 - 8th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 3P2 Calgary, Alberta Ph: 403-265-2885

Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Supplemental Vegetation Survey Beatton River Replacement Project August 2011 / 6873

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 Project Details ...... 1 1.2 Background ...... 1 1.3 Objectives ...... 3 1.4 Ecosystem Classification ...... 3 2.0 METHODS ...... 4 2.1 Study Area Boundaries ...... 4 2.2 Literature / Desktop Review ...... 4 2.3 Field Data Collection ...... 4 2.3.1 Rare Plants and Rare Ecological Communities ...... 4 2.3.2 Non-Native and Invasive Species ...... 5 3.0 RESULTS ...... 6 3.1 Federal Rare Plants ...... 6 3.2 Provincial Rare Plants and Communities ...... 6 3.3 Vegetation Communities ...... 7 3.4 Rare Plants and Rare Ecological Communities ...... 7 3.5 Survey Limitations ...... 7 3.6 Non-Native and Invasive Species ...... 8 4.0 SUMMARY AND MITIGATION RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 10 4.1 General Vegetation Recommendations ...... 10 4.2 Rare Plant Recommendations ...... 10 4.3 Weeds and Invasive Species ...... 10 5.0 REFERENCES ...... 11

LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A Observed Plant Species – by Type and Common Name ...... 12 Appendix B Photoplates ...... 15 Appendix C Observed Weed Species and Density Distribution Classes by Legal Location ...... 17 Appendix D BC Ministry of Forests Weed Density Distribution Classes ...... 19

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Project Overview ...... 2 Figure 2 Rare Plant Occurrence ...... 9

LIST OF TABLES Table 1 2011 Vegetation Survey Locations ...... 5 Table 2 Previously Recorded Rare Plant Occurrences in the Vicinity of the Project ...... 6 Table 3 Transplant Receiving Site Locations ...... 10

LIST OF PLATES Plate 1 Spike cluster of tender sedge as observed in NE 16-83-16 W6M (June 15, 2011)...... 16 Plate 2 View north along the proposed access road with tender sedge plants in NE 16-83-16 W3M, identified by pink-coloured flagging tape (June 15, 2011)...... 16

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Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Supplemental Vegetation Survey Beatton River Replacement Project August 2011 / 6873

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Details Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. (Provident), a wholly owned subsidiary of Provident Energy Ltd., has received authorization from the National Energy Board (NEB) under Section 58 of the NEB Act to construct and operate the Beatton River Replacement Project (the Project) (Figure 1), subject to conditions (Order XO-P115-04-2011).

Prior to the NEB application filed on September 23, 2010, Provident commissioned TERA Environmental Consultants (TERA) to conduct vegetation (i.e., rare plant and weed surveys) along the proposed Project. Since the September 23, 2010 NEB filing, updates and/or changes to the Project have been made, as reported in the Supplemental Filing to the NEB dated April 26, 2011 (NEB Filing A1Y8E9). The updates/changes which warranted a supplemental vegetation survey include:

• construction is scheduled to begin in fall 2011 or winter 2011/2012 (as opposed to winter 2011) and as a result, additional temporary workspace will be required to allow for soil handling during nonfrozen conditions;

• existing access to the Beatton River valley bottom will require upgrades of existing low grade access trails for safety reasons, which will involve widening of existing trails and some new clearing / brushing / topsoil salvage; and

• the Beatton River watercourse crossing method remains a horizontal directional drill (HDD); however, in the event of an unsuccessful drill, the contingency plan is an isolated trenched crossing using a modified route at the crossing location with different temporary workspace requirements.

The following supplemental report describes the results of the supplemental vegetation surveys conducted on June 14 to 15, 2011, and July 16 to 17, 2011. In addition to the above, a small block valve site located in SW 6-85-14 W6M along another portion of the pipeline project was reviewed during the vegetation survey, to be thorough, although it is not directly related to the Beatton River Replacement Project.

1.2 Background At the time of the September 23, 2010 submission to the NEB, Provident was operating the 53.1 km long 219 mm (8 inch) O.D. Taylor to Boundary Lake Pipeline to carry sweet high vapour pressure hydrocarbon products (primarily ethane and propane) from the Taylor Pump Station near Taylor, British Columbia (BC) to the Boundary Lake Meter Station in Alberta. Approximately 36 km of the Taylor to Boundary Lake Pipeline had been in service since 1961 and was nearing the end of its useful life. Provident applied to federal and provincial BC regulators for approval to replace this 36 km segment of the pipeline in order to ensure safe and reliable operation into the future.

Most of the replacement activities (approximately 26.5 km) were conducted during late winter and spring 2011 within the existing pipeline right-of-way from Taylor, BC in SW 8-83-17 W6M to a tie-in point in SW 5-85-14 W6M under Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Activities. Approximately 16.5 km of new right-of-way was selected to allow the installation of the river crossing in a more suitable location from a geotechnical perspective. This new right-of-way is known as the Beatton River Replacement Project, which is the primary focus of this supplemental report.

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1.3 Objectives The objectives of the supplemental vegetation surveys were to:

• identify any rare plant species and rare ecological communities along the route as defined by the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), the BC Wildlife Act, BC Identified Wildlife program and the BC Conservation Data Centre (CDC);

• identify any uncommon sites or habitat features along the route with high potential to support rare plant species;

• record the abundance and distribution of non-native, invasive species; and

• provide mitigation recommendations in the event that rare plants, rare ecological communities or invasive species infestations are observed.

1.4 Ecosystem Classification The pipeline traverses the Peace Moist Warm Subzone (BWBSmw1) of the Boreal White and Black Spruce (BWBS) Biogeoclimatic (BGC) Zone in the Peace Forest District (BC CDC 2010a). Refer to the Rare Plant, Weed and Wetland Survey for the Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Beatton River Replacement Project for further details regarding ecosystem classification for the Project (TERA 2010).

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Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Supplemental Vegetation Survey Beatton River Replacement Project August 2011 / 6873

2.0 METHODS 2.1 Study Area Boundaries The study area boundaries for vegetation surveys are comprised of the land area to be directly disturbed by the updates and/or changes to the Project as described in Section 1.1. In the case of the access roads, the study area boundaries encompassed the 15 m width of the access road, which includes approximately 9 m of existing clearing and approximately 6 m of new cut.

2.2 Literature / Desktop Review A literature review was conducted prior to the 2010 surveys to identify rare vascular plant species and rare ecological communities with potential to occur in the BGC Zone where the Project is located. Satellite images and topographic maps were reviewed in order to identify areas with high potential to support rare plant species (e.g., seepage areas, riparian areas, under-represented ecosystems).

Using data available from BC Ministry of Environment (MOE), COSEWIC and Environment Canada, tables of potential rare vascular plant species (Appendix A, TERA 2010) and rare ecological communities (Appendix B, TERA 2010) were compiled.

BC provides rare vascular plant data by BGC Zone and Forest District (FD) (BC MOE 2010). All Red and Blue-listed vascular plants in the BGC Zone and FD of the Project were included. Habitats were added using Douglas, Meidinger et al. (2002) and Douglas, Straley et al. (1998-2002). The tables were modified to include whether the known range and habitat of each plant occur along the Project route. The ranges are based on the distribution maps in Douglas, Straley et al. (1998-2002). Whether the individual species' habitats were present along the route was determined based on habitat types expected to occur in the Project area and were later confirmed based on habitat types observed during the vegetation surveys.

BC CDC rare ecological community data are provided by BGC subzone and FD (BC MOE 2010). All Red and Blue-listed communities in the BWBS BGC Zone and FD encountered by the route were included in the potential rare ecological community table (Appendix B, TERA 2010). The table was modified to include whether the known range of the community occurs within the Project area. This was accomplished using distribution maps of the component species and, if necessary, through personal communication with the BC CDC.

Information regarding records of known rare plant or rare ecological community occurrences within the Study Area was requested from the BC CDC.

Weeds of management concern identified in the BC Weed Control Regulation and the North East Invasive Plant Committee (NEIPC) Plan and Profile document (NEIPC 2011) were also reviewed prior to the commencement of the vegetation surveys.

2.3 Field Data Collection 2.3.1 Rare Plants and Rare Ecological Communities Information collected during the desktop review as well as the 2010 surveys identified areas of high rare plant potential, potential rare plant species and potential rare ecological communities.

The rare plant survey methods were based on survey guidelines developed by the Alberta Native Plant Council (ANPC) (2000) and Penny and Klinkenberg (2007). Rare plant specialists traversed each component of the Project (Table 1), noted the dominant plant communities, recorded all identifiable species, and searched for rare plants and uncommon habitat. A purposeful meander technique was used to survey the Project area. At locations where potentially important microsites were observed, more detailed searches were performed.

Thorough searches were conducted to determine the extent of the populations where rare plant species were observed. The populations were mapped and photographed, UTM co-ordinates were recorded and detailed reporting forms were completed for future submission to the BC CDC. Voucher specimens of rare plant species were generally collected, if doing so would not have a negative impact on the population.

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Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Supplemental Vegetation Survey Beatton River Replacement Project August 2011 / 6873

TABLE 1

2011 VEGETATION SURVEY LOCATIONS

Development Location (W6M) Date Surveyed Access road upgrade on east NW 23-83-16; June 15, 2011 side of Beatton River valley NE 22-83-16; NW 22-83-16; NE 21-83-16; SE 21-83-16; and NE 16-83-16 Access road upgrade on west SW 16-83-16; June 14, 2011 side of Beatton River valley SE 16-83-16; and NE 16-83-16 Temporary Workspace NE 21-83-16 June 15, 2011 Temporary Workspace SE 26-83-16 June 15, 2011 Temporary Workspace NE 16-83-16 June 14, 2011 Temporary Workspace NE 16-83-16 and June 15, 2011 SE 21-83-16 Block Valve Site SW 6-85-14 June 15, 2011 Beatton River Isolation NE 16-83-16 July 16, 2011; Contingency Crossing July 17, 2011 Workspace

Temporary workspace locations in NW 19-83-16 W6M and SW 30-83-16 W6M, in NW 2-84-16 W6M, NE 2-84-16 W6M,SW 12-84-16 W6M and SW 16-83-16 W6M are situated entirely within agricultural fields. Agricultural lands have low potential to support rare plant species, therefore, rare plant surveys were not warranted for these Project components.

2.3.2 Non-Native and Invasive Species Weed control is of concern to stakeholders and local government agencies. In BC, Provincial Noxious weeds are those that must be controlled in all regions, and Regional Noxious weeds are those that must be controlled in the region(s) for which they are listed. Nuisance weeds in BC are identified (Cranston et al. 2002) but are not regulated by the BC Weed Control Act. In Northeast BC, the NEIPC also designates weeds as Prohibited Invasive, Primary Invasive and Secondary Invasive (NEIPC 2011). There are many additional, non-listed species that are introduced to BC (i.e., non-native), including seeded agronomic species and horticulturally-used species, that can be invasive in certain land uses. The status of species as native or not is according to the BC Species and Ecosystem Explorer (BC MOE 2011). All listed weeds and non-listed introduced species were recorded at all locations where they were observed during the survey.

Classes were assigned for the density and distribution of each non-native and invasive species, in each quarter-section where they were observed.

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3.0 RESULTS Supplemental vegetation surveys for the Project were conducted on June 14-15, 2011 and July 16-17, 2011.

3.1 Federal Rare Plants There are no potential species listed for the BWBS BGC Zone that have a SARA or COSEWIC designation. No previously recorded occurrences of rare plants with a SARA or COSEWIC designation are known from the study area (BC CDC 2010a).

3.2 Provincial Rare Plants and Communities There are no potential species listed for the BWBS BGC Zone that are designated under the BC Wildlife Act or Identified Wildlife program (Appendix A, TERA 2010).

The BC CDC has one rare plant occurrence known from the local Project area. Spike-oat (Helictotrichon hookeri) was noted from the east bank of the Beatton River (BC CDC 2010a). There are no known occurrences of rare ecological communities in the Project area. Four BC CDC-listed rare plant species were observed in 16 locations during the 2010 vegetation surveys. Details of the previously recorded occurrences are summarised in Table 2.

TABLE 2

PREVIOUSLY RECORDED RARE PLANT OCCURRENCES IN THE VICINITY OF THE PROJECT

Provincial Location Scientific Name Common Name Rank1 (W6M) Helictotrichon hookeri spike-oat S2S3 (Blue List) east bank of the Beatton River Arnica chamissonis ssp. incana meadow arnica S2S3 (Blue List) SE 27-83-16 Helictotrichon hookeri spike-oat S2S3 (Blue List) SE 21-83-16 Arnica chamissonis ssp. incana meadow arnica S2S3 (Blue List) SE 23-83-17 Cicuta virosa European water-hemlock S2S3 (Blue List) SE 23-83-17 Symphyotrichum puniceum var. purple-stemmed aster S2S3 (Blue List) SE 23-83-17 puniceum Symphyotrichum puniceum var. purple-stemmed aster S2S3 (Blue List) SE 12-84-16 puniceum Symphyotrichum puniceum var. purple-stemmed aster S2S3 (Blue List) NE 12-84-16 puniceum Arnica chamissonis ssp. incana meadow arnica S2S3 (Blue List) NE 12-84-16 Symphyotrichum puniceum var. purple-stemmed aster S2S3 (Blue List) NW 7-84-15 puniceum Symphyotrichum puniceum var. purple-stemmed aster S2S3 (Blue List) SE 18-84-15 puniceum Arnica chamissonis ssp. incana meadow arnica S2S3 (Blue List) NW 17-84-15 Symphyotrichum puniceum var. purple-stemmed aster S2S3 (Blue List) NW 22-84-15 puniceum Arnica chamissonis ssp. incana meadow arnica S2S3 (Blue List) NW 22-84-15 Symphyotrichum puniceum var. purple-stemmed aster S2S3 (Blue List) SE 36-84-15 puniceum Arnica chamissonis ssp. incana meadow arnica S2S3 (Blue List) NE 36-84-15 Symphyotrichum puniceum var. purple-stemmed aster S2S3 (Blue List) NE 36-84-15 puniceum Sources: BC CDC 2010a, TERA 2010

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Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Supplemental Vegetation Survey Beatton River Replacement Project August 2011 / 6873

TABLE 2 Cont'd

Notes: 1. Provincial (S) ranks are assigned by the provincial and federal Conservation Data Centre(s); in cases of conflict or missing data, the provincial CDC will have preference. Ranks range from 1 (five or fewer occurrences) to 5 (demonstrably secure under present conditions); all definitions below are from NatureServe 2010a. S2 = Imperilled: because of rarity or because of some factor(s) making it very vulnerable to extirpation. Typically 6-20 occurrences or few remaining individuals (1,000-3,000). S3 = Vulnerable: because rare and uncommon, or found in a restricted range (even if abundant at some locations), or because of other factors making it vulnerable to extirpation. Typically 21-100 occurrences or between 3,000 and 10,000 individuals. S#S# = Range Rank: a numeric range rank (e.g., S2S3) is used to indicate the range of uncertainty about the exact status of the element. 2. BC Provincial List (BC CDC 2010b). Blue List: Includes species not immediately threatened but of concern because of characteristics that make them particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events.

3.3 Vegetation Communities Native vegetation communities encountered during the surveys included mesic to moist mixed deciduous forests typically dominated by trembling aspen and balsam poplar. Associated understories were characterized by upland shrubs including soopolallie, choke cherry, prickly rose and common snowberry and diverse herbaceous species including northern bedstraw, wild strawberry, creamy peavine, yarrow, tall larkspur and cow-parsnip. Cleared areas adjacent to existing access roads were characterized by smooth brome and Kentucky bluegrass. Temporary workspace in NE 16-83-16 W6M,and SE 26-83-16 W6M are situated on hay lands and tame pasture seeded with alfalfa, timothy and smooth brome.

A list of all species observed at the time of surveys is provided in Appendix A. Species nomenclature is according to the BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer (BC MOE 2011), with additional taxonomic information drawn from NatureServe (2010b), when necessary.

3.4 Rare Plants and Rare Ecological Communities No COSEWIC or SARA-listed species were observed during the surveys. No species designated under the BC Wildlife Act or BC Identified Wildlife program were observed during the surveys. No rare ecological communities were observed during the surveys. One BC CDC-listed rare plant species, tender sedge (Carex tenera), was observed during the rare plant surveys.

Tender sedge, a rare species to BC, was observed in the vegetated clearing along the access road expansion in NE 16-83-16 W6M, east of the Peace River (Figure 2). Twenty plants were counted in an 80 m x 2 m area in between and around the tire tracks along the bed of the low-grade access road (Plate 1, Appendix B). Tender sedge is a tufted, grass-like species known to inhabit moist meadows and open woodlands throughout BC. It is characterized by long stems exceeding the tuft of leaves with straw- coloured spikes arranged much like beads along a necklace (Plate 2, Appendix B). Tender sedge is vulnerable to imperilled (S2S3) in BC and vulnerable in Alberta (S3) (Alberta Conservation Information Management System 2011, BC MOE 2011).

3.5 Survey Limitations Optimally, early and late summer rare plant surveys are conducted in order to assess the presence of rare plant species throughout the growing season (ANPC 2000). Based on the results of the 2010 surveys, knowledge of rare plant species previously encountered in the area; rare plants with potential to occur in this Biogeoclimatic Zone; and knowledge of vegetation communities in adjacent/nearby segments of the Project, a single season rare plant survey was considered adequate. Although single season surveys can limit the ability to detect all species, this limitation was mitigated by the degree of knowledge TERA has about the species most likely to be encountered in this area. In addition, when

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Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Supplemental Vegetation Survey Beatton River Replacement Project August 2011 / 6873 species are observed that cannot be positively confirmed, supplemental surveys may be recommended or mitigation may be developed conservatively based on the potential for the species to be rare (i.e., mitigation is developed based on the assumption that the species is rare until it is determined otherwise).

Although rare plant surveys can confirm the presence of rare plants, they cannot definitively determine that rare plants are not present at a site.

3.6 Non-Native and Invasive Species One Provincial Noxious weed, Canada thistle, was observed. No Regional Noxious species were observed. According to the NEIPC designations, no Prohibited Invasive species were observed in the Project area. One Primary Invasive species (Canada thistle) was observed in the Project area. The five Secondary Invasive species observed included annual hawksbeard, field pennycress, flixweed, lamb’s-quarters and yarrow. Yarrow is a native species that can behave like a weed in that it is a rapid colonizer of disturbances, but is not of concern in a native context. The following non-native introduced or invasive species were noted throughout the Project area at low to moderate densities: alfalfa; alsike clover; common dandelion; common plantain; common timothy; oval-leaved knotweed; shepherd’s purse; smooth brome; white clover; white-sweet clover; and yellow sweet-clover.

Weed location and abundance data is presented in Appendix C. The density classes used are those established by the BC Ministry of Forests (Luttmerding et al. 1990), presented in Appendix D.

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August 2011 ¯ FIGURE 2 SW 22 RARE PLANT OCCURRENCE SE 21 83-16 W6M 83-16 W6M SUPPLEMENTAL VEGETATION SURVEY FOR THE PROVIDENT ENERGY PIPELINE INC. BEATTON RIVER REPLACEMENT PROJECT

6873

Rare Plant Location

Transplant Receiving Site

Proposed Beatton River tender sedge Replacement Pipeline

Proposed Beatton River Isolated Crossing Plan Transplant Receiving Site 2 Proposed Access Road

Watercourse

Transplant Receiving Site 1

NW 15 NE 16 83-16 W6M NW 16 83-16 W6M 83-16 W6M SCALE: 1: 5,000 m 0 50 100 B (All Locations Approximate) e a t t o n R i v e r

UTM Zone 10N Date of Imagery: September 2009 SPOT 5 Satellite Imagery 2011 CNES, Licensed by Iunctus Geomatics Corp., www.TerraEngine.com; Roads: IHS Inc. 2011; Hydrography: IHS Inc. 2004.

Although there is no reason to believe that there are any errors associated with the data used to generate this product or in the product itself, users of these data are advised that errors in the data may be present.

Mapped By:SB Checked By:JW t6873_Fig2_Beatton_River_Replacement_Veg.mxd Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Supplemental Vegetation Survey Beatton River Replacement Project August 2011 / 6873

4.0 SUMMARY AND MITIGATION RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 General Vegetation Recommendations Although the pipeline has been aligned to minimize environmental impacts, some impacts will inevitably occur during the construction phase and throughout the operational life of the pipeline. General mitigative measures to reduce potential environmental impacts on vegetation during construction and/or operation of the pipeline are provided in the Environmental Protection Plan (EPP) prepared for the Project (TERA 2011).

4.2 Rare Plant Recommendations TERA recommends that the tender sedge plants located adjacent to the existing access road be avoided, where feasible. Where avoidance is not feasible, tender sedge plants situated within the area to be disturbed by the access road should be relocated away from the area to be disturbed. Potential transplant receiving sites were selected along game/livestock trails in an open meadow located approximately 50 m east from the documented population of tender sedge (Figure 2). The recipient sites are located at the UTM co-ordinates provided in Table 3.

TABLE 3

TRANSPLANT RECEIVING SITE LOCATIONS

Location From To Transplant 657859 E 657865 E Receiving Site 1 6231393 N 6231386 N Transplant 657868 E 657859 E Receiving Site 2 6231394 N 6231403 N Note: Zone 10V, NAD 83

TERA recommends that post-construction monitoring be conducted during the first season following construction and clean-up activities.

4.3 Weeds and Invasive Species TERA recommends that care be taken to prevent the spread of Provincial Noxious weeds and invasive non-native species in the vicinity of the Project. Provident should implement control measures for known occurrences of Provincial Noxious weeds. All vehicles and equipment should arrive onsite and leave the Project clean and free of soil and vegetation debris.

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Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Supplemental Vegetation Survey Beatton River Replacement Project August 2011 / 6873

5.0 REFERENCES Alberta Conservation Information Management System. 2011. List of Tracked and Watched Elements – May 2011 Version. Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation. Parks Division, Edmonton, Alberta.

Alberta Native Plant Council. 2000. ANPC Guidelines for Rare Plant Surveys in Alberta. Website: http://www.anpc.ab.ca/assets/rareplant.pdf.

British Columbia Conservation Data Centre. 2010a. Conservation Data Centre Mapping Service. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Website: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/atrisk/ims.htm. Accessed: July 2010.

British Columbia Conservation Data Centre. 2010b. Provincial Red and Blue Lists. Ministry of Environment. Website: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/atrisk/red-blue.html.

British Columbia Ministry of Environment. 2010. BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer. Website: http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/. Accessed via: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/atrisk/toolintro.html. Accessed: July 2010.

British Columbia Ministry of Environment. 2011. BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer. Website: http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/. Accessed via: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/atrisk/toolintro.html. Accessed: July 2011.

Cranston, R., D. Ralph and B. Wikeem. 2002. Field Guide to Noxious and Other Selected Weeds of British Columbia. Fourth Edition. British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture and Lands.

Douglas, G., (G.B. Straley), D. Meidinger and J. Pojar. 1998-2002. Illustrated Flora of British Columbia. Volumes 1-8. Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management and Ministry of Forests. Province of British Columbia.

Douglas, G.W., D. Meidinger and J.L. Penny. 2002. Rare Native Vascular Plants of British Columbia. 2nd Edition. Province of British Columbia.

Luttmerding, H.A., D.A. Demarchi, E.C. Lea, D.V. Meidinger and T. Vold (editors). 1990. Describing Ecosystems in the Field. Second edition. B.C. Min. Env., Lands and Parks and B.C. Ministry of Forests. MOELP Manual 11. Victoria, BC.

NatureServe. 2010a. Heritage Status: Global, National and Subnational Conservation Status Ranks. Website: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/ranking.htm.

NatureServe. 2010b. NatureServe Explorer - An Online Encyclopedia of Life. Website: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/index.htm. Accessed: July 2011.

North East Invasive Plant Committee. 2011. 2011 Plan and Profile. North East Invasive Plant Committee. Fort Nelson, BC. Website: http://prrd.bc.ca/services/environmental/weed_control/documents/NEIPC2011_Plan_Profile_000. pdf. Accessed: July 2011.

Penny, J. and R. Klinkenberg. 2007. Protocols for Rare Vascular Plant Surveys. In: Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2009. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Website: http://www.geog.ubc.ca/biodiversity/eflora/ProtocolsforRarePlantSurveys.html. Accessed via: http://www.eflora.bc.ca/.

TERA Environmental Consultants. 2010. Rare Plant, Weed and Wetland Survey for the Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Beatton River Replacement Project. Prepared for Provident Energy Pipeline Inc.

TERA Environmental Consultants. 2011. Environmental Protection Plan for the Proposed Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Beatton River Replacement Project. Prepared for Provident Energy Pipeline Inc.

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Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Supplemental Vegetation Survey Beatton River Replacement Project August 2011 / 6873

APPENDIX A

OBSERVED PLANT SPECIES – BY TYPE AND COMMON NAME

Common Name Scientific Name TREES Alaska paper birch Betula neoalaskana balsam poplar Populus balsamifera ssp. balsamifera trembling aspen Populus tremuloides white spruce Picea glauca SHRUBS beaked hazelnut Corylus cornuta var. cornuta Bebb's willow Salix bebbiana black gooseberry Ribes lacustre choke cherry Prunus virginiana ssp. melanocarpa common snowberry Symphoricarpos albus var. albus green alder Alnus viridis ssp. crispa highbush-cranberry Viburnum edule honeysuckle species Lonicera sp. mountain alder Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia narrow-leaf willow Salix exigua ssp. interior northern gooseberry Ribes oxyacanthoides ssp. oxyacanthoides prickly rose Rosa acicularis ssp. sayi red-osier dogwood Cornus stolonifera saskatoon Amelanchier alnifolia var. alnifolia soopolallie Shepherdia canadensis willow species Salix sp. FORBS, DWARF SHRUBS American milk-vetch Astragalus americanus American vetch Vicia americana baneberry Actaea rubra biennial wormwood Artemisia biennis blue columbine Aquilegia brevistyla bunchberry Cornus canadensis Canada goldenrod Solidago canadensis var. subserrata Canada violet Viola canadensis var. rugulosa common horsetail Equisetum arvense cow-parsnip Heracleum maximum creamy peavine Lathyrus ochroleucus cut-leaved anemone Anemone multifida dwarf red raspberry Rubus pubescens var. pubescens fireweed Epilobium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium foliose oxytrope Oxytropis deflexa var. foliolosa golden corydalis Corydalis aurea goldenrod species Solidago sp. green wintergreen Pyrola chlorantha heart-leaved arnica Arnica cordifolia kinnikinnick Arctostaphylos uva-ursi large-leaved avens Geum macrophyllum ssp. macrophyllum Lindley's aster Symphyotrichum ciliolatum long-headed anemone Anemone cylindrica long-leaved starwort Stellaria longifolia maple-leaved goosefoot Chenopodium simplex

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Common Name Scientific Name meadow horsetail Equisetum pratense narrow-leaved goosefoot Chenopodium desiccatum narrow-leaved hawkweed Hieracium umbellatum ssp. umbellatum northern bedstraw Galium boreale northern scouring-rush Equisetum variegatum ssp. variegatum northern wormwood Artemisia campestris ssp. pacifica one-sided wintergreen Orthilia secunda palmate coltsfoot Petasites frigidus var. palmatus pink wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia prairie pepper-grass Lepidium densiflorum var. densiflorum rattlesnake fern Botrychium virginianum red raspberry Rubus idaeus ssp. strigosus showy aster Eurybia conspicua silverberry Elaeagnus commutata smooth aster Symphyotrichum laeve var. geyeri spreading dogbane Apocynum androsaemifolium star-flowered false Solomon's-seal Maianthemum stellatum stinging nettle Urtica dioica ssp. gracilis tall bluebells Mertensia paniculata var. paniculata tall larkspur Delphinium glaucum veiny meadowrue Thalictrum venulosum wallflower species Erysimum sp. wild lily-of-the-valley Maianthemum canadense wild sarsaparilla Aralia nudicaulis wild strawberry Fragaria virginiana var. glauca wood strawberry Fragaria vesca var. americana wormseed mustard Erysimum cheiranthoides yarrow Achillea millefolium var. borealis GRASSES, SEDGES, RUSHES Baltic rush Juncus balticus bronze sedge Carex aenea bulrush species Scirpus sp. golden sedge Carex aurea hair bentgrass Agrostis scabra junegrass Koeleria macrantha Kentucky bluegrass Poa pratensis reed canarygrass Phalaris arundinacea slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus ssp. trachycaulus soft-leaved sedge Carex disperma tender sedge Carex tenera thickspike wildrye Elymus lanceolatus ssp. lanceolatus western bluegrass Pascopyrum smithii MOSSES, LICHENS, LIVERWORTS aspen stocking moss Pylaisiella polyantha knight's plume Ptilium crista-castrensis red-stemmed feathermoss Pleurozium schreberi step moss Hylocomium splendens WEEDS, AGRONOMICS alfalfa Medicago sativa alsike clover Trifolium hybridum annual hawksbeard Crepis tectorum black medic Medicago lupulina

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Common Name Scientific Name Canada thistle Cirsium arvense var. horridum common dandelion Taraxacum officinale common plantain Plantago major common timothy Phleum pratense field pennycress Thlaspi arvense flixweed Descurainia sophia lamb's-quarters Chenopodium album Norwegian cinquefoil Potentilla norvegica oval-leaved knotweed Polygonum arenastrum shepherd's purse Capsella bursa-pastoris smooth brome Bromus inermis white clover Trifolium repens white sweet-clover Melilotus alba yellow sweet-clover Melilotus officinalis

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APPENDIX B

PHOTOPLATES

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Plate 1 Spike cluster of tender sedge as observed in NE 16-83-16 W6M (June 15, 2011).

Plate 2 View north along the proposed access road with tender sedge plants in NE 16-83-16 W3M, identified by pink-coloured flagging tape (June 15, 2011).

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APPENDIX C

OBSERVED WEED SPECIES AND DENSITY DISTRIBUTION CLASSES BY LEGAL LOCATION

Location Density Development (W6M) Species2 Distribution1 Comments Access Road SE 17-83-16 lamb’s-quarters -- -- Expansion (West golden corydalis --- of Peace River) SW 16-83-16 Canada thistle 4 • Canada thistle observed along existing roadside (10V 657248 E 6230025 N) SE 16-83-16 -- -- • No weedy species observed NE 16-83-16 Canada thistle 4 • Canada thistle observed common plantain -- along existing roadside common dandelion -- (10V 657492 E 6230904 N) Temporary NE 16-83-16 common dandelion -- -- Workspace (southwest of Beatton River) Isolation Crossing NE 16-83-16 Canada thistle 3 -- Contingency common dandelion 4 (southwest bank) prairie pepper-grass -- annual hawksbeard 2 1 flixweed Pipe laydown area NE 16-83-16 common dandelion 2 -- annual hawksbeard 2 Isolation Crossing NE 16-83-16 Norwegian cinquefoil 2 -- Contingency annual hawksbeard 2 (northeast bank) shepherd’s purse 1 wormseed mustard 1 common dandelion 2 common plantain 3 yellow sweet-clover 3 white sweet-clover 3 lamb’s quarters 3 oval-leaved knotweed 3 prairie pepper-grass 1 black medic 1 Temporary NE 16-83-16 -- -- • No weedy species Workspace observed (northeast of Beatton River) Access Road NE 16-83-16 -- -- • No weedy species Expansion (East observed of Peace River) SE 21-83-16 field pennycress 2 • Only two field pennycress plants were observed; therefore, the plants were removed and disposed of 22-83-16 -- -- • No weedy species observed 23-83-16 -- -- • No weedy species observed SE 26-83-16 -- -- • No weedy species observed

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Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Supplemental Vegetation Survey Beatton River Replacement Project August 2011 / 6873

Location Density Development (W6M) Species2 Distribution1 Comments Temporary NE 21-83-16 common dandelion -- -- Workspace Temporary SE 26-83-16 common dandelion -- -- Workspace Block Valve 1-85-16 common dandelion -- -- Notes: 1 According to Luttmerding et al. 1990 (Appendix D). 2 Bold font indicates Noxious weed species.

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Provident Energy Pipeline Inc. Supplemental Vegetation Survey Beatton River Replacement Project August 2011 / 6873

APPENDIX D

BC MINISTRY OF FORESTS WEED DENSITY DISTRIBUTION CLASSES

Guidelines for Field Assessment1 No. of plants in 20 m x No. of plants/ha 100 m Approximate Density 20 m area (low shrubs, x 100 m area (tall % Cover Class Distribution herbs and mosses) shrubs and trees) Diagram Range 1 rare individual, a 1 <5 single occurrence 1-5

2 a few sporadically 2-5 5-50 occurring 1-5 individuals

3 a single patch or 1 patch (occupying an variable (3 patches) clump of species area smaller than one 1-10 quadrant of the plot)

4 several sporadically ≥6 >50 occurring 5-10 individuals

5 a few patches or 2-5 patches (each variable (3-10 patches) clumps of species occupying an area 10-30 smaller than one quadrant of the plot) 6 several well-spaced ≥6 patches (each variable (10-many patches or clumps occupying less than one disjunct patches) 10-30 quadrant of the plot)

7 continuous uniform many many occurrence off well- 10-30 spaced individuals

8 continuous many many (continuous occurrence of a matrix formed by species with a few species crowns with 30-60 gaps in the some openings) distribution 9 continuous dense many many occurrence of a >60 species

Sources: Luttmerding et al. 1990. Note: 1 The density distribution class is determined over a sufficiently large area to account for normal variation in distribution pattern.

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