Environmental Impact Statement for the

EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development in CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area

VOLUME 5

HUMAN RESOURCES ASSESSMENT

EnCana Corporation

May 2007

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Table of Contents

1 Introduction to Human Resources Assessment ...... 1-1

2 Historical Resources ...... 2-1 2.1 Executive Summary ...... 2-1 2.2 Introduction ...... 2-3 2.3 Study Area Boundaries ...... 2-3 2.3.1 Spatial ...... 2-3 2.3.2 Temporal ...... 2-4 2.4 Key Historical Resources Issues ...... 2-4 2.4.1 Regional Issues ...... 2-4 2.4.2 Local Issues ...... 2-5 2.4.3 Valued Socio-economic Component ...... 2-5 2.5 Methods ...... 2-5 2.6 Existing Conditions ...... 2-7 2.6.1 Description of Baseline Conditions ...... 2-7 2.6.2 Distribution and Areal Extent of the Valued Socio-economic Component ...... 2-12 2.6.3 Summary of Existing Conditions ...... 2-13 2.7 Project Environmental Effects Assessment and Mitigation Measures ...... 2-13 2.7.1 Effects Assessment by Valued Socio-economic Component and Project Phase ...... 2-13 2.7.2 Summary of Residual Environmental Effects on Historical Resources ...... 2-17 2.8 Accidents and Malfunctions ...... 2-17 2.8.1 Collisions with and Releases from Vehicles ...... 2-18 2.9 Cumulative Effects Assessment ...... 2-18 2.10 Follow-up and Monitoring Recommendations ...... 2-19

3 Palaeontological Resources ...... 3-1 3.1 Executive Summary ...... 3-1 3.2 Introduction ...... 3-2 3.3 Study Area Boundaries ...... 3-3 3.3.1 Spatial ...... 3-3 3.3.2 Temporal ...... 3-3 3.4 Key Palaeontological Resources Issues ...... 3-3 3.5 Valued Socio-economic Component ...... 3-3 3.6 Methods ...... 3-5 3.6.1 Overall Assessment Approach ...... 3-5 3.6.2 Evaluating Effect Significance ...... 3-5 3.7 Existing Conditions ...... 3-7 3.7.1 Description of Baseline Conditions ...... 3-7 3.7.2 Summary and Conclusions ...... 3-9

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3.8 Project Environmental Effects Assessment and Mitigation Measures ...... 3-10 3.8.1 Project Effects ...... 3-10 3.8.2 Conclusion – VSC (Palaeontological Resources) – All Project Phases ...... 3-12 3.9 Accidents and Malfunctions ...... 3-12 3.10 Cumulative Effects Assessment ...... 3-13 3.11 Follow-up and Monitoring Recommendations ...... 3-13

4 Socio-Economics ...... 4-1 4.1 Executive Summary ...... 4-1 4.2 Introduction ...... 4-2 4.3 Study Area Boundaries ...... 4-2 4.3.1 Spatial ...... 4-2 4.3.2 Temporal ...... 4-4 4.4 Key Socio-economic Assessment Issues ...... 4-4 4.4.1 Issues Identification ...... 4-4 4.4.2 Scoping Considerations ...... 4-5 4.5 Valued Socio-economic Components ...... 4-6 4.6 Methods ...... 4-7 4.7 Existing Conditions ...... 4-8 4.7.1 Canadian Forces Base Suffield ...... 4-8 4.7.2 Regional Study Area ...... 4-17 4.7.3 Summary and Conclusions ...... 4-21 4.8 Project Socio-economic Impact Assessment ...... 4-21 4.8.1 Mitigation ...... 4-21 4.8.2 Project Impact Assessment by Valued Socio-economic Component and Project Phase ...... 4-22 4.8.3 Accidents and Malfunctions ...... 4-39 4.8.4 Summary of Residual Socio-economic Impact ...... 4-40 4.9 Cumulative Effects ...... 4-40 4.10 Follow-up and Monitoring ...... 4-41

5 References ...... 5-1

6 Glossary ...... 6-1

Appendix 2A Summary Description of the ARM Model ...... 2A-1 Appendix 2B Pre-contact and Historical Context of Alberta ...... 2B-1 Appendix 2C Photos of Common Historical Resource Sites (Stone Circles and Cairns) ...... 2C-1 Appendix 2D Location of Historical Resource Sites in the NWA ...... 2D-1 Appendix 2E HRIA and Mitigation Measures (Current Practice) ...... 2E-1

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Appendix 3A Photographs Related to the Palaeontological Historical Resource Effects Assessment ...... 3A-1 Appendix 4A Detailed Socio-Economic Baseline Conditions for the RSA...... 4A-1 Appendix 4B EnCana Policies (related to socioeconomic effects) ...... 4B-1

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List of Tables

Table 2-1 Historical Resource Value Ranking Definitions ...... 2-6 Table 2-2 Previously Known Historical Sites in the National Wildlife Area ...... 2-7 Table 2-3 Common Historic Site Types in Southern Alberta ...... 2-11 Table 2-4 Common Pre-contact Site Types in Southern Alberta ...... 2-11 Table 2-5 Summary of Environmental Effects on Historical Resources ...... 2-15 Table 3-1 Summary of Effects Significance on the Palaeontological Resource VSC during Project Phases ...... 3-12 Table 4-1 Selection of Valued Socio-economic Components ...... 4-6 Table 4-2 Annual Provincial Economic Impact of Pre-construction Activities ...... 4-23 Table 4-3 Annual Provincial Economic Impact of Proposed Drilling Program ...... 4-24 Table 4-4 Annual Provincial Economic Impact of Operations ...... 4-24 Table 4-5 Cumulative Provincial Economic Impact of Decommissioning ...... 4-25 Table 4-6 Summary of Project Impact on the Alberta Economy ...... 4-25 Table 4-7 Summary of Project Impact on Alberta Government Revenues ...... 4-27 Table 4-8 Annual Regional Economic Impact of Pre-Construction Activities ...... 4-28 Table 4-9 Annual Regional Economic Impact of Proposed Construction ...... 4-29 Table 4-10 Annual Regional Economic Impact of Operations ...... 4-30 Table 4-11 Cumulative Regional Economic Impact of Decommissioning and Abandonment ...... 4-31 Table 4-12 Summary of Residual Impact on Regional Employment and Income ...... 4-31 Table 4-13 Summary of Residual Impact on the Regional Population ...... 4-32 Table 4-14 Residual Impact on Public and Community Services and Infrastructure ...... 4-33 Table 4-15 Summary of Residual Socio-economic Impact on Transportation ...... 4-34 Table 4-16 Summary of Residual Impact on Land and Resource Use ...... 4-37 Table 4-17 Summary of Residual Impact on Aesthetics ...... 4-39

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List of Figures

Figure 2-1 Historical Resources in the National Wildlife Area ...... 2-10 Figure 3-1 Location of Areas Subject to Detailed Palaeontological Study ...... 3-4 Figure 3-2 Waypoints and Inspection Track Used for the Palaeontological Assessment ...... 3-6 Figure 3-3 Palaeontology – Location and Geology ...... 3-8 Figure 4-1 Regional Study Area for the Socio-economic Effect Assessment ...... 4-3 Figure 4-2 Canadian Forces Base Suffield ...... 4-11 Figure 4-3 Grazing Zones in the National Wildlife Area ...... 4-12 Figure 4-4 Annual Gas Production from EnCana Wells in the National Wildlife Area...... 4-15 Figure 4-5 EnCana’s Annual Operating Costs at Canadian Forces Base Suffield, 2006 ...... 4-16 Figure 4-6 Incremental Natural Gas Production from the National Wildlife Area ...... 4-26 Figure 4-7 Well Site Viewshed from the South Saskatchewan River ...... 4-38

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Abbreviations

± ...... Plus or minus AADT ...... Average annual daily traffic AIT ...... Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation ARM ...... Archeological Resource Management ATS ...... Alberta township system AUM ...... Animal unit months BATUS ...... British Army Training Unit Suffield Bcf ...... Billion cubic feet BP ...... Before present CEAA ...... Canadian Environmental Assessment Act COSEWIC ...... Committee on the status of endangered wildlife in Canada CWS ...... Canadian Wildlife Service DND ...... Department of National Defense DRDC ...... Defense Research and Development Council GDP ...... Gross Domestic Product HRIA ...... Historical Resources Impact Analysis HRO ...... Historical resources overview HRV ...... Historical resource value MD ...... Municipal districts MMcf/day ...... Million cubic feet per day MOU ...... Memorandum of understanding MTA ...... Military Training Area PFRA ...... Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Association ROW ...... Right of way RSO ...... Range Standing Order SEA ...... Socio economic assessment SGAC ...... Suffield Grazing Advisory Committee SH ...... Secondary highway SIRC ...... Suffield Industrial Range Control WMU ...... Wildlife management units AENV ...... Alberta Environment ANOVA ...... analysis of variance ANHIC ...... Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre AXYS ...... AXYS Environmental Consulting Ltd. EIA ...... Environmental Impact Assessment GIS ...... Geographic Information System HU ...... habitat units NGTL ...... NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. PCOG ...... Petro-Canada Oil and Gas

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TCPL ...... TransCanada PipeLines Limited TSS ...... total suspended solids

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1 Introduction to Human Resources Assessment

The Human Environment Resources Volume of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development in CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area (“the Project”), provides a focussed assessment of the potential effects on Historical Resources (sites of historical importance). The assessment of human environment resources has been designed to focus on the key effects that the Project is anticipated to have on the human environment and also to address the relevant components of the EIS Guidelines (see Volume 1, Appendix A). For each of the sections included, the spatial and temporal boundaries are identified, and the key issues are characterized from both a regional and local perspective. By focusing the issues in this manner, the proposed Valued Ecological Components (VECs) could be identified on which to base the impact assessment for each of the respective sections. Each section also contains detailed baseline information which describes the existing conditions of the area with respect to the human environment resources. The project effects are described in terms of the proposed VECs (identified in each section), and following the recommendation of any applicable mitigation measures, the potential effects of the Project on these VECs are characterized based on the criteria of determining the significance of the effect. If there are residual project effects, each of the sections will also characterize cumulative effects and any regional mitigation efforts that are planned or underway aimed to reduce cumulative effects. If applicable, a determination of significance is also characterized for any residual effect of cumulative effects along with recommendations for follow-up and monitoring.

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2 Historical Resources

2.1 Executive Summary

Introduction

The potential for project environmental effects on historical resources was assessed as part of EnCana’s application for the Shallow Gas Infill Development Project in the Suffield National Wildlife Area (the Project). A historical resource impact assessment (HRIA) was done in the CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area (NWA) according to the requirements set out by the Alberta government in their Guidelines for Archaeological Permit Holders in Alberta (ASA 1989) and the Archaeological and Palaeontological Research Permit Regulation (ATPRC 2002) pertaining to the Historical Resources Act.

Key Issues

From a regional perspective, historical resource sites in Alberta are part of the distinct record of First Nations lifeways and the cultural history of Alberta. The Historical Resources Act of Alberta recognizes that historical resources are nonrenewable. Once impacted, historical resource sites cannot be recovered, with the result that information about the First Nations people and the cultural history of Alberta could be lost. In addition, disturbance of individual sites can result in the loss of all context and information pertaining to those historical resource sites.

Valued Socio-economic Component

In the context of these issues and considering the cultural and scientific value of historical resources, the valued socio-economic component (VSC) selected for this assessment of historical resources is “known and undiscovered historical resources”. This VSC does not include palaeontological resources which were assessed separately.

Methodology

The overall assessment approach for assessing potential project effects on historical resources consisted of developing an archeological resource management (ARM) model for the NWA to identify areas of low, moderate, high and extreme potential and to assist in the identification of sites where a Historical Resources Impact Assessment (HRIA) was required. Based on the ARM model, historical resource overviews (HRO) were completed for areas identified by the ARM model as having moderate potential for encountering archaeological sites but areas of low potential were not subject to the HRIA. The HRO was used to determine whether a full HRIA was necessary for sites identified as having moderate historical resource potential by the ARM model. The results of the HRIA at various sites throughout the NWA were then used to determine the potential adverse environmental effects of the Project on historical resources.

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Baseline

The results of the ARM model and the HRIA clearly indicate that there are numerous historical resources in the NWA. There are 412 known historical resource sites in the NWA including 19 new historical resource sites found as part of this HRIA. There are 361 known historical resource sites in the south NWA and 51 in the north NWA. The majority of site types identified at CFB Suffield are stone features, many of which were identified during the Archaeological Survey of Alberta (ASA) historical resource inventory survey of the Suffield Military Reserve between 1971 and 1985.

Project Effects by Valued Socio-economic Component and Project Phase

Potential project effects on known and undiscovered historical resources as a result of planned project activities include:  disturbance or loss of data  loss of cultural objects or sites  changes in the interpretive capacity of the region The activities during the construction phase of the Project that cause disturbance to the ground surface have the greatest potential to affect in situ historical resources. Activities associated with operations, and decommissioning and abandonment of the Project will be restricted to access routes and sites determined in the construction phase (that have already been cleared for avoidance of historical resources). The residual environmental effects of the Project on known and undiscovered historical resources during the construction, operations, and decommissioning and abandonment phases are predicted to be insignificant.

Key Mitigation

In addition to the HRIA done during the planning phase of this Project, EnCana will have an accredited professional archaeologist assess sites for historical resources before well and pipeline construction activities. If relocation of project elements is not possible and damage or destruction of historical resources could occur, mitigation will be undertaken according to the requirements set out by the Alberta government.

Cumulative Effect Assessment

Cumulative effects on historical resources in the RSA are primarily related to past military use of the area and past and future oil and gas activities. With implementation of the proposed mitigation measures, it is not likely that the Project, in combination with other past, present and future activities, will result in significant adverse effects. Therefore, the potential cumulative effects on historical resources have been determined to be insignificant.

Follow-up and Monitoring

The conclusion that project effects on historical resources are insignificant is contingent on EnCana’s current practice to have consulting archaeologists undertake HRIAs for each well site, pipeline corridor, access road, associated tie-ins and any other developments, and to

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relocate the proposed facilities where possible to avoid known historical resources sites and sites that may be discovered as part of the HRIA process. Construction monitoring will be implemented to minimize risks to undiscovered historical resources. Any site identified during construction will be mitigated according to provincial guidelines and regulations. Access management will minimize the potential for adverse effects on historical resources during the operations and decommissioning and abandonment phases of the Project, therefore, monitoring is not proposed.

2.2 Introduction

An assessment of potential project effects on historical resources was done as part of EnCana’s application for the Project in the CFB Suffield NWA. A historic resource is defined in the Alberta Historical Resources Act as “any work of nature or of humans that is primarily of value for its palaeontological, archaeological, prehistoric, historic, cultural, natural, scientific or aesthetic interest including, but not limited to, a palaeontological, archaeological, prehistoric, historic or natural site, structure or object”. The Historical Resources Act also recognizes that historical resources are nonrenewable, such that they cannot be replaced if accidentally or deliberately destroyed. The use of the term historical resources in this section excludes palaeontological resources which were assessed separately (Section 3). A historical resource impact assessment (HRIA) was done in the NWA according to the requirements set out by the Alberta government in its Guidelines for Archaeological Permit Holders in Alberta (ASA 1989) and the Archaeological and Palaeontological Research Permit Regulation (ATPRC 2002) pertaining to the Historical Resources Act. The formal HRIA prepared for the Project was also prepared as a separate document and has been submitted to and accepted by Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (Ng 2006).

2.3 Study Area Boundaries

2.3.1 Spatial

The study area boundary for assessment of historical resources includes all of the NWA that could potentially be affected by the Project. The NWA was selected to represent the regional study area (RSA) for historical resources, therefore, the RSA and NWA boundaries are the same. Within the RSA, a local study area (LSA) was identified to encompass specific areas of interest and potential for encountering intact historical resources. The LSA, which includes areas identified by local topographic features, is based on past archaeological work undertaken in the RSA, the ARM model and a historical resource overview (HRO). Within the parameters of the ARM model and the HRO, the LSA includes areas that have high or extreme historical resource potential as well as areas of moderate potential (see 2.6.1.2). In addition, the LSA includes areas on or adjacent to drainages, lakes, sloughs, wetlands, knolls, hills, bluffs, clusters of trees, areas of exposed rocks and any upland landforms. In most cases the new and revisited historical resources sites were found to occur on such land

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features. Also some of the sites were found on landforms such as relatively level native prairie and the ubiquitous sand hills. The following considerations are used to assist in the identification of historical sites:  locations of known occupation  length of occupation  size of the group  distribution of occupation  number of occupations  the nature of the environment during the occupation Therefore, historical resource sites can have site dimensions ranging from one metre to a few kilometres. For historical resource assessment and management purposes, the NWA is divided into south and north parts (see Volume 1, Section 1, Figure 1-1).

2.3.2 Temporal

The temporal boundaries for this assessment are based on the project phases and schedule described in the Project Description (Volume 1, Section 2.7).The project phases include construction, operations and decommissioning and abandonment. Also, the effects of potential accidents and malfunctions on historical resources were considered (see Volume 5). The potential risk to historical resources is anticipated to be highest during the construction phase of the Project. Project activities undertaken during the operations and decommissioning and abandonment phases of the Project are expected to occur only in areas that have been cleared for avoidance of historical resources during the construction phase of the Project and are expected to have minimal risk to historical resources. Risks to historical resources due to unregulated access and increased human presence and utilization of the NWA were not considered because there is no public access to the NWA and the activities and movements of all EnCana employees and contractors are coordinated with the Suffield Industry Range Control (SIRC).

2.4 Key Historical Resources Issues

2.4.1 Regional Issues

Historical resources sites are the remains of past human behaviours and lifeways, and their relationship with their environment. In southern Alberta this involves the nomadic pre- contact plains culture and early Euro-Canadian settlements. From a regional perspective, historical resources sites in Alberta are all part of the distinct record of First Nations lifeways and the cultural history of Alberta. To understand the key historical resources issues, it is important to understand the overall pre-contact and historical context of Alberta provided in Appendix 2B.

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2.4.2 Local Issues

The Historical Resources Act of Alberta recognizes that historical resources are nonrenewable. Once affected, historical resource sites cannot be recovered, with the result that information about the First Nations people and the cultural history of Alberta could be lost. In addition, disturbance of individual sites can result in the loss of all context and information pertaining to those historical resources sites.

2.4.3 Valued Socio-economic Component

In the context of these issues and considering the cultural and scientific value of historical resources, the VSC selected for this assessment of historical resources is “known and undiscovered historical resources”.

2.5 Methods

To characterize historical resources in the NWA and to assess potential project environmental effects on historical resources the assessment methodology described in Volume 2, Section 3 was used. In addition, the following methods apply specifically to the historical resources VSC.

Identification and Rating of Historical Resources

To assess potential project environmental effects on known and undiscovered historical resources, the following methods were used:  development of an ARM model for the NWA  completion of historical resource overviews (HRO)  completion of historical resource impact assessments (HRIA) where necessary The development of an ARM model for the NWA (see Appendix 2A) was undertaken to identify areas of low, moderate, high and extreme potential for encountering intact historical resources based on topographic features where unrecorded sites are most likely found and the concentrations of known historical resources sites. The purpose of the ARM model was to develop a land management basis for structuring historical resource investigations in conjunction with the Project. In addition, the model takes into account the potential for buried archaeological deposits in areas that were classed as low potential in the 1985 model (Brumley and Dau 1985; Soucey 2006). The ARM model helps define the fieldwork perimeters for an effective and efficient HRIA. Based on the ARM model, areas of low potential such as coulee walls, slumped earth, disturbed surfaces, previous cultivation and steep slopes that typically contain no historical resources sites or sites of limited value were not subject to the HRIA (Soucey 2006). Historical resource overviews were completed for areas identified by the ARM model as having moderate potential for encountering archaeological sites. A HRO identifies the proposed locations for well sites, pipelines, access roads, associated tie-ins and any other associated developments and examines two factors: local topography surrounding the developments, and proximity to known historical resource sites. The HRO is used to

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determine whether a full HRIA is necessary for sites identified as having moderate historical resource potential by the ARM model. The areas of historical resource potential (low, moderate, high, and extreme) as defined within the ARM model and in association with the HRO are referred to as the LSA. In addition, the LSA includes specific localized topographical features throughout the NWA identified by the consulting archaeologists as areas of potential for encountering intact historical resources based on past archaeological experience and knowledge. They include areas on or adjacent to drainages, lakes, sloughs, wetlands, knolls, hills, bluffs, clusters of trees, areas of exposed rocks and any upland landforms. The objective of a HRIA is to identify and evaluate historical resources sites in an area that may potentially be affected by a project, leading to the development of avoidance or mitigation strategies to protect these resources. The HRIA was done in accordance with requirements set out by the Alberta government in its Guidelines for Archaeological Permit Holders in Alberta (ASA 1989) and the Archaeological and Palaeontological Research Permit Regulation (ATPRC 2002) pertaining to the Alberta Historical Resources Act. An HRIA comprises three components:  a background and literature research and review of relevant published and unpublished provincial site files and reports to identify any documented historical resource sites that could be affected by the development  field investigations to identify and record new and previously recorded historical resources sites, and involving a pedestrian surface survey and subsurface testing  documentation and reporting of the HRIA results for submission to the Government of Alberta Identified historical resource sites were subsequently ranked from high to low in value (Table 2-1). The value ranking system is based on the historical resource value (HRV) from the Cultural Facilities and Historical Resources Division of Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (CFHRD 2006).

Table 2-1 Historical Resource Value Ranking Definitions

Value Description High Protected historic resource sites of high value to Alberta history and culture (HRV: 1 to 3). This is based on a number of factors such as its rarity, pivotal historical role, religious nature or it contains significant or unique historical information. Medium Historical resource sites that have the potential to contain significant informational value about Alberta history and culture (HRV: 4 to 5). Low Historical resource sites of limited or low informational value to Alberta history (HRV: 0).

HRIA fieldwork was done throughout the NWA from September 6 to 13, 2006 and included a pedestrian survey for cultural features near or on the surface as well as 236 shovel tests. The pedestrian survey included an opportunistic examination of natural or anthropogenic ground exposures, such as road cuts and blowouts. No animal burrows or ground nests were disturbed. All shovel tests were done in areas that are thought to have moderate to high potential for cultural resources based on aspect, landform and sediment type. The soil matrix removed from the shovel tests was sorted by hand, and each individual soil horizon was preserved and replaced in its original order. The shovel tests measured approximately

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40 by 40 cm and were excavated to depths ranging from 10 to 80 cm below surface depending on the depth of Holocene soil deposits. All artefacts recovered were recorded and repatriated to their proper context. Fieldwork for the HRIA was undertaken subject to the conditions outlined in the NWA Access Permit issued by DND.

Effects Assessment and Significance Determination

The assessment of potential environmental effects of the Project on known and undiscovered historical resources, including characterization of the residual effects, prediction of significance and statement of level of confidence followed the methodology described in Volume 2. The environmental effects significance rating system used is consistent with the system described in Volume 2, Section 3.5.3 with the exception that project effects cannot be determined to be reversible for historical resources.

2.6 Existing Conditions

2.6.1 Description of Baseline Conditions

2.6.1.1 Previous Historical Resource Sites in the National Wildlife Area

Regarding previous historical resource research at CFB Suffield, the majority of site types identified are stone features, many of which were identified during the Archaeological Survey of Alberta historical resource inventory survey of the Suffield Military Reserve between 1971 and 1985. These are detailed in a number of archaeological site inventory forms (ASA n.d.) and unpublished reports such as those by Brumley (1972, 1979), Brumley and Dau (1980, 1985), Brumley and Willis (1976, 1977), Brumley et al. (1981), Byrne (1971), Dau (1981, 1984) and Saylor (1982, 1983). Recently, newly identified historical resource sites were added to the inventory and are documented in reports such as those by Himour (2006), Murphy (2005) and Ng (2006). All of these reports are on file at the Heritage Resource Management Branch of Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture. The south NWA, east of South Buffalo Road, has the highest concentration of previously known archaeological sites including a number of important sites such as:  EcOp-4, the Suffield Experimental Station Medicine Wheel  EcOp-51, the Twin Peak Cairn and Medicine Wheel  EbOp-16, the Cactus Flower Site The Cactus Flower Site is an important Alberta archaeological site. It is an artefact-rich and multi-occupational Middle Pre-contact site dating about 8500 to 2000 BP (Brumley 1975). A summary of the known historical sites is presented in Table 2-2.

Table 2-2 Previously Known Historical Sites in the National Wildlife Area

Site Type South NWA North NWA Total Medicine wheel 0 0 0 Vision quest 0 0 0 Rock art 0 0 0 Burials 0 0 0

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Table 2-2 Previously Known Historical Sites in the National Wildlife Area (cont’d)

Site Type South NWA North NWA Total Bison jump 0 0 0 Bison kill site 2 1 3 Workshop 1 1 2 Erratic 1 0 1 Hearth 2 0 2 Drive lane 2 0 2 Quarry 0 0 0 Campsite 13 4 17 Stone circle 99 10 109 Cairn 89 4 93 Stone line 4 1 5 Historic farm 0 0 0 Historic homestead 3 1 4 Lithic scatter 5 5 10 Isolated find 1 0 1 Marker 1 0 1 Stone circle and cairn 66 7 73 Stone circle, cairn, drive lane 7 0 7 Stone circle and scatter 1 0 1 Cairn and drive lane 12 0 12 Stone circle, cairn, hearth 2 0 2 Stone circle, cairn, stone line 13 2 15 Stone circle, cairn, rubbing stone 1 0 1 Cairn, hearth 2 0 2 Cairn, stone line 7 0 7 Stone Circle, Stone Line 3 1 4 Campsite, kill site 1 0 1 Drive lane, drive marker 6 0 6 Stone circle, drive lane 5 0 5 Cairn, erratic 1 0 1 Stone circle, cairn, erratic 1 0 1 Campsite, workshop 1 1 2 Stone circle, medicine wheel 1 0 1 Stone circle, hearth 3 1 4 Stone line, cairn, medicine wheel 1 1 2 Total 357 40 397

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2.6.1.2 Results of the Archaeological Resource Management Modelling

The use of the ARM model and a HRO are currently employed for HRIAs throughout CFB Suffield outside the NWA. This model is described in more detail in Appendix 2A. Based on the ARM model results, the highest probability and greatest potential of encountering historical resources sites is in the south NWA, east of South Buffalo Road and areas along the South Saskatchewan River, whereas the portion of the NWA in the Middle Sand Hills likely has fewer historical resources. The results of the ARM model are summarized in Figure 2-1. Based on the ARM and the 1985 model, areas of extreme historical resource potential were not assessed during this HRIA because it is already known conclusively that these areas will have sites (Brumley and Dau 1985; Soucey 2006).

2.6.1.3 Results of the Historical Resources Impact Assessment

Historical resources sites are defined in Table 2-3 and Table 2-4 which list historic and pre- contact site types and their value. Site values assigned by the Alberta Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture are based on Alberta archaeological experience and an abundance of documentation of the archaeological and cultural history of Alberta such as those by Brink and Dormaar (2003), Moore (1981), Reeves (1969), Vickers (1986), and Wormington and Forbis (1965). They are ranked from high to low in value according to Table 2-1. The majority of historical resources sites encountered in southern Alberta are of medium value such as stone circles and cairns. If a site is encountered during a HRIA that is not listed in Table 2-3 and Table 2-4, the consulting archaeologist determines its value and recommends appropriate avoidance or mitigation strategies. During this HRIA, 19 new archaeological sites were identified and three known sites were revisited. The 19 new historical resource sites are identified in Appendix 2D. Sites are identified on a series of topographical maps for various areas in the NWA. Eighteen of the new archaeological sites are pre-contact sites consisting of stone circles, cairns, stone arcs and stone lines varying in composition from one to four stones. They have been assigned the Borden designations of EbOq-152 to 156; EcOo-78 and 80; EdOo-47 to 56 and EdOp-127. One historic structure was found and was assigned the Borden designation of EcOp-60. The three revisited sites (EcOq-4, EdOo-1 and EdOo-17) are all pre-contact sites consisting of stone circles and cairns, which were originally found in the early 1970s. The three revisited sites were found when the archaeologists were close to them during the HRIA. No artefacts of archaeological significance were observed at any of the new or known sites during the HRIA. A final report detailing the HRIA and the new and revisited historical resources sites was submitted to the Alberta government on October 25, 2006 (Ng 2006).

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! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Legend Archaeological Potential ² NWA Boundary Extreme EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development Project in the Suffield NWA 0 2.5 5 10 ! KM Known Archaeological Sites High Figure: 2-1 Historical Resources in the NWA ! Moderate New Archaeological Sites 1 : 250,000 While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this REVISION: SCALE: DATE: 2007 - 01 - 02 DATUM: UTM Zone 12, map, EnCana or its consultants will not be liable for loss or 0 NAD83 Low MAP BY: SOURCE:U:\Encana\encana_suffield\Mapping & Requests\ damage resulting from its use. March 2007. 043007_historic\ EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development

in CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area Section 2: Historical Resources

Table 2-3 Common Historic Site Types in Southern Alberta

Site Type Value Brief Description Historic farm Medium Any farm structures or remains that are 50 years or older Historic Medium Any homesteads or remains that are 50 years or older homestead

Table 2-4 Common Pre-contact Site Types in Southern Alberta

Site Type Value Brief Description Medicine High Typically, a large circle of stones, often about 15 m in diameter with a central wheel cairn and a line of stone radiating outwards like a wheel. However, not all medicine wheels fit this description. They often have religious significance to First Nations people and may have served additional purposes. Alberta has 66% of all known medicine wheels in Canada. They first appeared between 5000 and 6000 years ago in the Middle Pre-contact Period. Vision quest High A rock feature, typically circular in structure and usually found in remote areas with a scenic view of the surrounding landscape. Uses by the First Nations people either for a puberty rite, fasting, praying or power-seeking. A sacred site, its focal point is typically another sacred site, a specific landform or direction. Rock art High Paintings or etchings on rocks or rock walls depicting scenes of past First Nations life which have special meaning to First Nations. Rock art locations are typically considered to be sacred sites. Burial High Self-explanatory, both pre-contact and historic. Bison jump High to A cliff formation where bison were herded to death. Used for communal medium hunting. First appeared between 5000 and 6000 years ago in the Middle Pre- contact Period. Bison kill High to An area where bison were herded and penned to be killed. Used for site medium communal hunting. Drive lane High to A series of cairns to funnel the bison to the bison jumps. These drive lanes medium could stretch for kilometres. Quarry High to An area where certain types of stone or raw materials were collected or medium mined. Campsite High to An area composed of diagnostic artefacts or a hearth. Such sites can be as medium simple as a campsite or a multi-occupational and artefact-rich habitation site. Stone circle Medium A circle of ground with embedded stones. Also known as a tipi ring. First appeared between 5000 and 6000 years ago in the Middle Pre-contact Period. Cairn Medium A rock pile. In most cases a remnant of a pre-contact rock pile consisting of a cluster of ground embedded rocks. Can be found in an isolated setting, associated with stone circles or part of a larger stone feature such as a medicine wheel. The function of the cairn is varied; it was used for ceremonial purposes, as a landscape marker or as a cache marker. Stone line Medium A line of ground with embedded stones. Usually associated with other stone features. Could be ceremonial in purpose; to separate specific landforms; or on rare occasions, remnants of a drive lane for a bison kill site or jump.

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Table 2-4 Common Pre-contact Site Types in Southern Alberta (cont’d)

Site Type Value Brief Description Stone arc Medium An arc of ground with embedded stones, usually half a stone circle. Lithic scatter Low A scatter of artefacts of no diagnostic value or with limited significance. Isolated find Low One artefact SOURCE: Brink et al. 2003; Dormaar 2003.

Based on the results of the HRIA, some areas that were formerly considered to have no known archaeological potential are now considered to have moderate potential and one area at the southeast corner of the south NWA has been reclassified as having high potential. This is based on the two new pre-contact sites found (EbOq-154 and EbOq-155), the local topography, and the relative proximity to surrounding known archaeological sites. Some areas previously identified as having high potential were reclassified as moderate. Field investigations of topographical features such as drainages, lakes, sloughs, wetlands, knolls, bluffs, strands of trees, areas of exposed rocks and any upland features, determined that many of them had no cultural features. In some cases these landforms are large sand hills, intermittent sloughs and saltpans. In some cases, some of the new pre-contact sites (including EdOo-50 to 56) were found on relatively level native prairie and sand hills, a type of terrain that dominates most of the NWA. Therefore, the overall classification of moderate potential is given for most of the NWA. At the southwest section of the north NWA and stretching north from the South Saskatchewan River is an escarpment approximately three kilometres long, which affords a scenic view of the surrounding landscape and separates the relatively level native prairie to the west from the upland of rolling sand hills to the east. Three new pre-contact sites were identified on this landform: EcOo-78, EcOo-80 and EdOo-47. Further north and east of the escarpment, the landform gently declines into rolling sand hills where four new pre-contact sites were found: EdOp-127, EdOo-48, EdOo-49 and EdOo-56. Based on the number of new and known archaeological sites along this topographical feature, this area has been classified as high potential. Three previously known sites (EcOq-4, EdOo-1 and EdOo-17) were revisited and found to be undisturbed. They are all pre-contact sites consisting of stone circles and cairns originally found in the early 1970s and were revisited when the archaeologists were working nearby during the HRIA. The majority of the known historical resource sites in the NWA were identified in the 1970s and, until recently, the NWA has been off-limits to any additional archaeological study. Consequently, the current condition of the majority of these sites remains unknown. Many of the historical resources sites have more than one feature, e.g., a number of stone circles, cairns and stone lines. It is presumed that the majority of these historical resources sites are still in their original context and have not been disturbed.

2.6.2 Distribution and Areal Extent of the Valued Socio-economic Component

The historical resource VSC is defined as known and undiscovered historical resources, excluding palaeontological resources which are assessed as a separate VSC. Table 2-2 provides a general inventory of the previously recorded historical resource site types in the south and north NWA. Many of the historical resource sites have more than one feature,

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e.g., stone circles, cairns and stone lines. Detailed descriptions of the previously recorded historical resource sites in the NWA are contained in various site inventory data forms on file with the Heritage Resource Management Branch of Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture. Details of the 19 new historical resource sites are described in the HRIA report submitted to EnCana and the Heritage Resource Management Branch of Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (Ng 2006).

2.6.3 Summary of Existing Conditions

The results of the ARM model and the HRIA clearly indicate that there are numerous historical resources in the NWA. There are now 412 known historical resource sites in the NWA including the 19 new historical resource sites found as part of this HRIA. There are 361 known historical resource sites in the south NWA and 51 in the north NWA. More sites have been identified in the south due to more archaeological work having been done in the south in past studies. During this survey, more effort was spent investigating the north NWA and as a result, more sites were found in the north NWA.

2.7 Project Environmental Effects Assessment and Mitigation Measures

2.7.1 Effects Assessment by Valued Socio-economic Component and Project Phase

This section describes potential project effects on historical resources, outlines mitigation measures, characterizes residual effects and evaluates the significance of residual effects on known and undiscovered archaeological and historic resources, not including palaeontological resources which are assessed separately. Project environmental effects on known and undiscovered historical resources as a result of planned project activities include:  disturbance or loss of data  loss of cultural objects or sites  changes in the interpretive capacity of the region In addition to planned project phases it is also possible for accidents or unplanned events to cause similar adverse effects on historical resources (see Volume 5).

2.7.1.1 Construction

Potential Project Environmental Effects

The project construction activities that cause disturbance to the ground surface have the greatest potential to affect in situ historical resources. As outlined in the project description (Volume 1, Section 2.3.2), these activities include:  drilling – Since topsoil is not removed on the project footprint, ground disturbance is limited to the wellhead location; however, additional traffic (trucks, drill rigs) may result in ground disturbance in the approach to and in the general vicinity of the wellhead location.

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 gathering system tie-ins – Typically no topsoil stripping will be required for the 50.8-mm (2-in.) HDPE pipelines; however, traffic in the 15-m workspace (may be up to 30 m where required) could potentially disturb stone features.  back-end loop lines – Stripping of topsoil along these ROWs will be restricted, depending on soil conditions and traffic in the 15-m workspace (may be up to 30 m where required) may potentially disturb stone features.  bellholes – Topsoil will be removed at points of connection between wellheads and tie-in pipelines, and between tie-in pipelines and steel gathering pipelines.  access trails – There will be no topsoil stripping associated with access trails; however, there may be surface disturbance associated with construction traffic. Adverse effects on historical resources due to unregulated access and increased human presence and use of the NWA are not expected since there is no public access to the NWA and the activities and movements of all EnCana employees and contractors are coordinated with the SIRC.

Mitigation Measures

In addition to the HRIA done during the planning phase of this Project, EnCana will assess sites for historical resources before well and pipeline construction activities. This assessment involves having a provincially accredited professional archaeologist (required to be specialized in prairie archaeology) examine the site for any historical resources (i.e., known and undiscovered) before construction activities begin. If sites are found, the archaeologist will determine the appropriate course of action to avoid or reduce potential environmental effects on the site. For previous work done by EnCana throughout southeast Alberta and the military training area (MTA) of CFB Suffield, avoidance of historical resources sites has been successfully implemented in most cases and has minimized or avoided any potential effect on the sites. If relocation of project elements is not possible and damage or destruction of historical resources will occur, mitigation measures may be possible. By planning to avoid historical resources sites and by implementing appropriate mitigation measures where required, potential project effects are substantially avoided. All mitigation measures in Alberta are done according to requirements set out by the Alberta government in its Guidelines for Archaeological Permit Holders in Alberta (ASA 1989) and the Archaeological and Palaeontological Research Permit Regulation (Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture 2002). According to the Guidelines, mitigation refers to a moderation or alleviation of potential impact. In cultural resource management studies in Alberta, scientific investigation following an impact assessment is usually required. Preservation of sites through development planning or redesign are options preferred by the Archaeological Survey of Alberta. The mitigation measures prescribed by professional archaeologists, who conduct these sites assessments as part of EnCana’s current practices, are described in Appendix 2E. Newly identified and revisited (previously recorded) historical resources sites are registered with the Province.

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Residual Effects Rating

The residual effects of the Project on known and undiscovered historical resources during the construction phase are considered to be of negative direction, regional extent, short duration, low magnitude, irreversible and of isolated frequency (summarized in Table 2-5). The geographic extent of the residual effects is considered to be regional to reflect the cultural and environmental context in which past societies existed.

Table 2-5 Summary of Environmental Effects on Historical Resources

Rating by Project Phase

Criteria Construction Operations Decommissioning

Direction Negative Negative Negative

Geographic extent Regional Local Local

Duration Short-term Long-term Short-term

Frequency Isolated Occasional Isolated

Reversibility and Recovery Irreversible Irreversible Irreversible

Magnitude Low Low Low

Level of confidence High High High

Significance Insignificant Insignificant Insignificant

Summary

The residual environmental effects from construction are determined to be insignificant. With identified mitigation, some site contexts may still be adversely affected but the effect might also be positive in that any identified sites will be recorded and documented for the provincial database.

2.7.1.2 Operations

Project Effects

Activities associated with operations will be restricted to access routes and sites that were already cleared for avoidance of historical resources during construction. Project effects on historical resources during the operations phase are expected to be minimal.

Mitigation Measures

As detailed in the project description (Volume 1, Section 2.2.3), no new roads will be constructed and all access routes will be marked in the field so that traffic is restricted to specified routes that have already been cleared for avoidance of historical resources. Public

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access to the NWA is restricted by fencing and gates, and the activities and movements of all EnCana employees and contractors are coordinated with the SIRC.

Residual Effects Rating

The residual environmental effects of the Project on known and undiscovered historical resources during the operations phase are considered to be of negative direction, local extent, long-term duration, low magnitude, irreversible and of occasional frequency (see Table 2-5). The geographic extent of the residual environmental effects is considered to be local for the operations phase because with appropriate mitigation few sites, if any, are anticipated to be affected by operational activities.

Summary

The residual environmental effects from the operations phase are anticipated to be insignificant assuming that the access management plan will be maintained and adherence to operating procedures occurs.

2.7.1.3 Decommissioning and Abandonment

Project Effects

Activities associated with decommissioning and abandonment will be restricted to access routes and sites that were already cleared for avoidance of historical resources during the construction phase. Project effects on historical resources during the decommissioning and abandonment phase are expected to be minimal.

Mitigation Measures

Based on the current understanding of EnCana’s predicted decommissioning and abandonment activities, no additional mitigation measures are anticipated. At the time of decommissioning and abandonment, historical resources sites will be known and avoidance or protection procedures will be in place, as necessary.

Residual Effects Rating

The residual effects of the Project on known and undiscovered historical resources during the decommissioning and abandonment phase are considered to be of negative direction, local extent, short-term duration, low magnitude, irreversible and of isolated frequency (see Table 2-5).

Summary

The residual environmental effects for the decommissioning and abandonment phase are anticipated to be insignificant given that historical resources within the decommissioned footprint will have been documented and protection procedures put in place.

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2.7.2 Summary of Residual Environmental Effects on Historical Resources

The predicted residual effects on historical resources for all project phases were characterized using the criteria described in the assessment methodology (see Volume 2). In conclusion, the residual environmental effects of the Project on known and undiscovered historical resources during the construction, operations, and decommissioning and abandonment phases are predicted to be insignificant as summarized in Table 2-5. The level of confidence for the residual effects prediction is considered to be high. This level of confidence is based on the availability of data in the RSA, site assessment for historical resources is conducted before well and pipeline construction activities, and the availability of standard and effective mitigation measures.

2.8 Accidents and Malfunctions

The Historical Resources Act of Alberta recognizes that historical resources are non- renewable. Once impacted, historical resource sites cannot be recovered, with the result that information about the First Nations people and the cultural history of Alberta could be lost. In addition, disturbance of individual sites can result in the loss of all context and information pertaining to those historical resource sites. Thus, it is expected that EnCana will take all precautionary approaches wherever historical resource sites are identified and Project design features could be altered in order to avoid these sites or accommodate mitigation. However, if a malfunction or accident were to occur on a historical resource site, that occurrence must be reported to the consulting archaeologist for reassessment and ,in turn, it will be reported to Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture. The reassessment will take into account the value of the historical resource site and the extent of the damage. Afterwards, Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture will be consulted for advisement and, subsequently, recommendations will be made to EnCana. This will be done on a case-by-case basis for each situation and, possibly, involve compensatory mitigation. Potential accidents and malfunctions include:  vehicle collisions  accidental releases from vehicles  pipeline releases  blowouts and surface casing vent flow  wildfires Project design, inspection, maintenance and integrity assurance programs, as well as proven engineering techniques will be put in place to minimize the likelihood of such events occurring. In addition, proposed mitigation measures, as outlined in the EPP, will further reduce the risk of any potential accidents or malfunctions. All safety procedures will be documented and implemented before to the commencement of routine operations. Given the nature of most historic resources and the regulatory requirements associated with their assessment, it is unlikely that any of the above noted accidents or malfunction will cause adverse effects except those related to vehicle collisions. The residual environmental effects on historic resources from the potential accidents or malfunctions, with the exception of the following, are rated as being insignificant.

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2.8.1 Collisions with and Releases from Vehicles

2.8.1.1 Collisions

The risk of direct effects on historical resources from accidental vehicle collisions are non- existent, therefore, any associated residual environmental effects are insignificant.

2.8.1.2 Spills from Vehicles

The risk of effects on historical resources as a result of accidental releases from vehicles (generally due to collisions) are very low. Given their carrying capacity, the size of potential spills from vehicles is limited and, due to the minimal level of traffic and 50 kmph speed limits, the probability of spills is low. The fluids transported both during construction and operations consist primarily of water. All construction and maintenance vehicles will carry adequate spill kits in the event accidental releases or upsets. Unplanned events of this nature may result in contamination of a site or disturbance of a heritage resource site during clean up activities. Mitigation of project effects resulting from such events would include avoidance of known historical resources during clean up efforts, if possible, or site documentation and other standard mitigation as required. The residual environmental effects of the Project on known and undiscovered historical resources as a result of malfunctions and accidents are considered to be insignificant.

2.9 Cumulative Effects Assessment

Cumulative effects include those likely to result from the Project in combination with effects from other past, present and planned or approved future projects or activities. Assessment of the cumulative effects of development activities on historical resources can be discussed in broad terms relating to the local and regional database, the current state of cultural interpretation and future interpretive capacity, should sites be affected. The effects resulting from development projects are documented through inventories collected for effects assessments but nondevelopment-related effects are more difficult to measure as they typically result from increased human presence, clandestine collection, disturbance and vandalism of known sites. Cumulative effects on historical resources also result from erosion, slumping, precipitation, frost cracking, effects of acidic soils on organic material and other natural events. Cumulative effects on historical resources in the RSA are primarily related to past military use of the area and past and future oil and gas activities. It is unlikely that future activities in the LSA (e.g., shallow gas drilling, grazing, scientific research) will change beyond current levels to put increased pressure on historical resources. Access to the NWA will continue to be carefully restricted and monitored. With implementation of the proposed mitigation, it is not likely that the Project in combination with other past, present and future activities will result in significant adverse effects. Therefore, the potential cumulative environmental effects on heritage resources have been determined to be insignificant.

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2.10 Follow-up and Monitoring Recommendations

The conclusion that project effects on historical resources are insignificant is contingent on EnCana’s current practice to have consulting archaeologists undertake HRIAs for each well site, pipeline corridor, access road, associated tie-ins and any other developments, and on relocating the proposed facilities where possible to avoid known historical resources sites and sites that may be discovered as part of the HRIA process. Construction monitoring will be implemented to minimize risks to undiscovered historical resources. Any sites identified during construction will be mitigated according to provincial guidelines. The access management plan will minimize the potential for adverse effects on historical resources during the operations and decommissioning and abandonment phases of the Project, therefore, monitoring is not proposed.

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3 Palaeontological Resources

3.1 Executive Summary

Introduction

An assessment of project environmental effects on palaeontological resources was done as part of EnCana Corporation’s (EnCana’s) application for the EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development Project (the Project) in the Suffield National Wildlife Area (NWA). This assessment has been completed according to provincial standards and submitted to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology and Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture. Regionally, the Project is approximately 65 to 70 km southeast of Dinosaur Provincial Park, one of the world’s richest sources of Late Cretaceous terrestrial fossils including dinosaurs, fish, turtles, marsupials and amphibians. Bedrock in the NWA is fossiliferous, and has the potential to yield palaeontological resources of high heritage value.

Key Issues

The key issue in assessing project effects on palaeontological resources is whether, during the course of development, existing palaeontological resources will be disturbed or destroyed.

Valued Socio-economic Components (VSCs)

Based on the issue identified above, the VSC is palaeontological resources.

Methodology

Literature review and field investigations were done to confirm the presence of palaeontological resources in and around the NWA. In the field, fossils were recorded and assessed for heritage value. Observations were made on the extent of bedrock exposures and the amount of surficial cover. Based on the field observations, predictions were made on whether the Project will disturb bedrock. An effect on palaeontological resources is possible where construction will disturb bedrock that potentially contains palaeontological resources of high heritage value.

Baseline

Literature review and field investigations determined that bedrock (Foremost, Oldman and Dinosaur Park formations) in the NWA is fossiliferous and has the potential to yield palaeontological resources of high heritage value. Bedrock exposures are restricted to the lower slope and terraces of the South Saskatchewan River valley. The plateau bordering the valley walls is covered with 5 to 10 m of glacial till capped by sandy soil and native prairie grasses. This surficial material is not fossiliferous.

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Project Effects by Valued Socio-economic Component and Project Phase

Effects on palaeontological resources are possible when bedrock is disturbed by project activities. This is anticipated only during the construction phase. The residual environmental effects were determined to be negligible.

Key Mitigation

To ensure that the Project has no adverse effects on palaeontological resources, the following measures will be undertaken:  if any construction site is located within 50 m of substantial slope break, or will be located along any steep valley wall, the site will require a palaeontologic site assessment to be carried out by a qualified palaeontologist  fossils discovered during construction monitoring will be salvaged or excavated by a professional palaeontologist  EnCana will educate its workers on the no fossil collecting policy of the Department of National Defence

Cumulative Effect Assessment

A cumulative effect assessment is not required since the project effects on palaeontological resources are predicted to be negligible.

Follow-up and Monitoring

Any fossils found during the course of construction should be immediately reported to the appropriate authorities.

3.2 Introduction

A palaeontological Historical Resource Impact Assessment (pHRIA) was done on the Suffield NWA for the Project at the conceptual level (i.e., final placement of project developments is not known but mitigation can be planned for). Regionally, the Project is approximately 65 to 70 km southeast of Dinosaur Provincial Park, one of the world’s richest sources of Late Cretaceous terrestrial fossils including dinosaurs, fish, turtles, marsupials and amphibians. This assessment was completed according to provincial standards and submitted to the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology and Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (Wilson and Zelenitsky 2006). The objective of this report is to summarize potential environmental effects of the Project on the palaeontological resources of the area and ascertain if further assessment or mitigation is needed.

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3.3 Study Area Boundaries

3.3.1 Spatial

For the purposes of assessing project effects, it is important to establish the presence of palaeontological resources in areas slated for drilling and pipeline installation. The NWA, therefore, is considered the Regional Study Area (RSA). Of primary note are palaeontological resources that may be along the steep west valley walls of the South Saskatchewan River and tributaries and bordering portions of eroded plateau, at the eastern margin of the NWA. This area is considered the Local Study Area (LSA). Within the LSA, two areas were chosen for field assessment due to their excellent bedrock exposures: 1. Townships 17 and 18, Ranges 3 and 4W4M (Murphy’s Horn) 2. parts of Townships 16-5W4M and 17-5W4M The locations of these two areas are shown in Figure 3-1.

3.3.2 Temporal

Any potential disturbance to palaeontological resources will occur when the wells are being drilled and pipelines installed. The assessment of project effects on palaeontological resources therefore focuses on the Construction Phase (see Volume 1, Section 2). Once the physical infrastructure is in place, activities associated with operations and decommissioning and abandonment are unlikely to affect palaeontological resources.

3.4 Key Palaeontological Resources Issues

The Province of Alberta considers the predominately vertebrate fossils of the Foremost, Oldman and Dinosaur Park formations as palaeontological resources of high heritage value. Plant and invertebrate fossils are more common and are generally valued less; however, their value is high in exceptional assemblages and they add context to vertebrate faunas. The key issue in assessing project effects on palaeontological issues is whether, during the course of development, existing palaeontological resources of high heritage value will be disturbed or destroyed. This can occur as a direct effect during construction or as an indirect effect through increased human presence in the area.

3.5 Valued Socio-economic Component

The VSC used to describe potential environmental effects on palaeontological resources is whether or not project development will result in the disturbance or destruction of palaeontological resources.

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TWP 20 RGE3 TWP 20 RGE6 TWP 20 RGE5 TWP 20 RGE4 TWP 20 RGE2

TWP 19 RGE6 TWP 19 RGE5 TWP 19 RGE4 TWP 19 RGE3 TWP 19 RGE2

TWP 18 RGE6 TWP 18 RGE5 TWP 18 RGE4 TWP 18 RGE3 TWP 18 RGE2

Murphy's Horn Study Area

TWP 17 RGE6 TWP 17 RGE5 TWP 17 RGE4 TWP 17 RGE3 TWP 17 RGE2

TWP 16-5, TWP 17-5 Study Area

TWP 16 RGE6 TWP 16 RGE5 TWP 16 RGE4 TWP 16 RGE3 TWP 16 RGE2

TWP 15 RGE6 TWP 15 RGE5 TWP 15 RGE4 TWP 15 RGE3 TWP 15 RGE2

Legend EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development ² Project in the Suffield NWA 0 5 10 NWA Boundary KM Figure 3-1: Location of Areas Subject While every effort has been taken to ensure the Paleo. Study Areas to Detailed Palaeontological Study accuracy of this map, EnCana or its consultants DATE: 2007 - 05 - 10 REVISION: SCALE: 1 : 250,000 DATUM: UTM Zone 12, will not be liable for loss or damage resulting from NAD83 MAP BY: SOURCE: U:\Encana\encana_suffield\Mapping & its use. May 2007. Requests\050307_Volume_5 EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development

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3.6 Methods

The assessment was done under a Mitigative Palaeontological Excavation Permit (Wilson 2006-19) approved by the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Access to CFB Suffield was allowed under DND Permit No. 2006-SCI-006(13). The DND permit prohibited the collection of fossils. The assessment procedures followed guidelines issued by the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology (2001).

3.6.1 Overall Assessment Approach

Field work was done August 25 to August 29, 2006 to determine the palaeontological potential of the LSA. Waypoints and the inspection track were recorded using a Garmen Etrex Vista C GPS and plotted on a digitized government topographical map (Figure 3-2) using OziExplorer computer map orientation program. Locations of important points along the traverse were marked on the global positioning system (GPS) as numerical successive waypoints and were recorded as WPT 164-207 and 1-59. Digital photographs were taken of the Project area and any palaeontological sites with observed fossils. At relevant waypoints, still photographs were taken to facilitate photographic documentation for future applications. The location, view points and depth of field of the individual photographs are marked on the photographic perspective maps (see Appendix 3A) by wedge-shaped arcuate segments connected by lines to a camera icon. Observations were made on the extent of bedrock exposures and the amount of surficial cover. Fossils were recorded and assessed for heritage value. Based on the field observations, predictions were made as to whether the development will disturb bedrock. An effect on palaeontological resources is possible where construction will disturb bedrock that potentially contains palaeontological resources of high heritage value.

3.6.2 Evaluating Effect Significance

The environmental effects significance rating system used in this section is consistent with the system described in Volume 2, Section 3.5. For palaeontological resources, the most important consideration in evaluating the potential significance of project effects is whether palaeontological resources of high heritage value are present and will be disturbed or destroyed. If palaeontological resources are not present in the area or will not be disturbed or destroyed, project effects are characterized as insignificant. Project effects are considered potentially significant if palaeontological resources of high heritage value are disturbed or destroyed.

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199 200 202 196 197 207 198 201 161318 204 059 057 203 058 205 206 040

023, 024, 025, 026, 027, 167, 165, 166, 167, 168 195 056 179 039 180 177 008, 009, 010, 011, 178 012, 013, 028, 029, 055 030, 031, 032, 033, 054 053 034, 035, 036, 037, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012, 192 038, 169, 170, 171, 013, 028, 029, 030, 031, 193 172, 173, 174, 175, 032, 033, 034, 035, 036, 194 176 037, 038, 169, 170, 171, 172, 173, 174, 175, 176

052 191 051 050 190

049

048

Legend

Palaeontological Waypoints EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development ² Project in the Suffield NWA 0 5 10 KM Palaeontological Tracks Figure 3-2: Waypoints and Inspection While every effort has been taken to ensure the Track for the Palaeontological Assessment accuracy of this map, EnCana or its consultants DATE: 2007 - 05 - 10 REVISION: SCALE: 1 : 250,000 DATUM: UTM Zone 12, will not be liable for loss or damage resulting from NWA Boundary NAD83 MAP BY: SOURCE: U:\Encana\encana_suffield\Mapping & its use. May 2007. Requests\050307_Volume_5 EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development

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3.7 Existing Conditions

3.7.1 Description of Baseline Conditions

The eastern part of the NWA is on the edge of an eroded plateau carved by the South Saskatchewan River and its tributaries. Thick glacial till covered by wind-blown sandy soil and native prairie grasses cap the uplands (McPherson 1972). There are no surficial deposits of high palaeontological potential in the area, such as preglacial sand and gravel (Edwards et al. 1994). The immediate area is underlain by the Foremost through Dinosaur Park formations of Campanian age (Figure 3-3), which can contain palaeontological resources of high heritage value, including large vertebrate fossils, plant fossils and invertebrate fossil remains. Upper to Middle Campanian Foremost, Oldman and Dinosaur Park formations, which were deposited from approximately 74 to 79 million years ago, are exposed along the western bank of the South Saskatchewan River bordering the Suffield NWA on the east. The vertebrate (as well as invertebrate and plant) fossils that exist within these formations provide valuable insight into the Late Cretaceous ecosystem of southeastern Alberta. Dinosaur Provincial Park, approximately 65 to 70 km northwest of the Suffield NWA is designated as a World Heritage Site. It is one of the world’s richest sources of Late Cretaceous terrestrial fossils including dinosaurs, fish, turtles, marsupials, and amphibians primarily from the Oldman and Dinosaur Park formations. Quaternary fossils from the nearby Empress, Bindloss and Medicine Hat areas have yielded rare ice age to preglacial mammals (Harington 1978). Previous studies have determined the existence of fossil material in the eastern valley walls of the South Saskatchewan River directly east of the NWA (Wilson, 2005) in 17-3 W4M. Known palaeontological sites also exist in 19-18-3 W4M (Middle Sand Hills Palaeo Site) and in sections along the eastern valley walls of the South Saskatchewan River in 19-2 W4M (South Saskatchewan River Palaeo Site). The Sandy Point locality occurs northeast of the NWA and contains a vertebrate fauna of high heritage value. There are no existing studies of fossil material in NWA. One site was recorded in the field studies (see Section 3.7.1.1, Murphy’s Horn). Several sections of land along the plateau edge and river valley walls within the NWA are notated by Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (formerly Alberta Community Development (ACD)) with Historic Resource Values (HRV) of 5, which denotes a High Palaeontological Resource Sensitivity Zone (ACD 2006). The Palaeontological Resource Sensitivity Zones map designates this land as having low to high palaeontological sensitivity (Tyrrell 1984). Field study results are summarized in the following sections.

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Bearpaw Formation (Kbp) EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development ² CFB Suffield Project in the Suffield NWA 0 5 10 15 KM Foremost Formation (Kfm) Figure 3-3: Palaeontology - While every effort has been taken to ensure the NWA Boundary Location and Geology accuracy of this map, EnCana or its consultants DATE: 2007 - XX - XX REVISION: X SCALE: 1 : 350,000 DATUM: UTM Zone 12, will not be liable for loss or damage resulting from Oldman Formation (Ko) NAD83 MAP BY: SOURCE: U:\Encana\encana_suffield\Mapping & its use. May 2007. Requests\050307_Volume_5 EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development

in CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area Section 3: Palaeontological Resources

3.7.1.1 Murphy’s Horn

Murphy’s Horn proper is in 17-3 W4M and 17-4 W4M where the South Saskatchewan River meanders sharply from south to northwest to north (Figure 3-1). The river is bordered on both sides by steep valley walls with excellent Foremost through Dinosaur Park formation exposures. Within Murphy’s Horn, as well as most of the eastern NWA, the plateau that borders the South Saskatchewan River is covered by glacial till up to 10 m thick capped by sandy soil and native prairie grasses. However, there are a few areas of the plateau where the till has been largely eroded leaving less than 1 to 2 m of overburden creating a terraced topography. This is evident at North of Murphy’s Horn (see Appendix 3A - Plate 1) and, to a lesser extent, in South Murphy’s Horn (Appendix 3A - Plate 3). The steep tributary coulee walls are also capped by thick glacial till near the plateau edges (Appendix 3A - Plate 1 – Figure A), but reveal excellent formational exposures nearer the river floodplain (Appendix 3A - Plates 1, 2, and 3). Hadrosaur and other dinosaur bone fragments were found in situ in channel sands, as well as weathered from outcrop of the Dinosaur Park Formation. Large (over 0.5 m diameter) sections of tree trunks, likely coniferous, were also observed at the outcrop, as were lag deposits of clams. These fossils have high heritage value. During a prior assessment, (APR 205-66c), a similar stratigraphic section was traversed directly across the river and yielded similar fossil remains. Based on these fossil finds, the palaeontological potential of this area is established as high.

3.7.1.2 Townships 16-5 W4M and 17-5 W4M

Relatively fewer outcrops, in comparison to those at Murphy’s Horn, were observed during a traverse of the western valley walls of the South Saskatchewan River and its tributaries (Appendix 3A - Plate 5). Similar to the Murphy’s Horn area, the plateau and adjacent valley walls are covered by thick glacial till capped by sand and native prairie grasses. However, the overlying till has not eroded enough to produce bedrock exposures along the plateau edge like those observed at Murphy’s Horn. Exposures that were observed were inaccessible and therefore not examined in detail. Also, adjacent areas travelled in this section of the NWA (Figure 3-2) revealed similar conditions of thick till with no bedrock exposure.

3.7.2 Summary and Conclusions

The field investigations noted numerous exposures of Foremost through Dinosaur Park formations along the steep west valley walls of the South Saskatchewan River and its tributary coulees. One such exposure was prospected for fossils with petrified wood, invertebrates and vertebrates (predominately hadrosaur bone fragments) being observed. The palaeontological potential of the bedrock is high, meaning that the likelihood of encountering palaeontological resources of high heritage value is high. The plateau bordering the valley walls is covered with 5 to 10 m of glacial till capped by sandy soil and native prairie grasses. Tributary coulee walls are also covered with similar thicknesses of till at the slope break. There is very little chance of environmental effects on palaeontological resources in these areas. However, in some areas, the till thins dramatically

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towards the rivers floodplain creating a terraced topography (Appendix 3A - Plate 1) and is absent in areas with near vertical slopes. The absence of till results in increased exposure of bedrock; thereby, increasing the potential exposure and potential disturbance of palaeontological resources.

3.8 Project Environmental Effects Assessment and Mitigation Measures

3.8.1 Project Effects

Construction Phase

Project Effects

Effects on palaeontological resources are possible when bedrock is disturbed by project activities. Minimal disturbance construction methods will be used as much as possible. Well lease disturbance limited to the wellhead itself (i.e., no on-lease sump). Whenever possible, lateral pipelines will be plowed using a spider plow. A chain ditcher will be used where plowing is not possible. More substantial ground disturbance will be caused by construction of loop lines using conventional ditching techniques and by bell hole excavation where wellheads tie into the gathering system and at pipeline tie-in points. There will be no crossings of permanent watercourses that have a high likelihood of bedrock exposures. No wellsites will be on the floodplain of the South Saskatchewan River; however, wellsites and pipelines are planned for the upper to middle valley slope. There are a limited number of areas along the valley wall slope break where much of the glacial till has been removed. Sites on these terraced areas, which are within 50 m downslope of the break-in-slope, warrant subsequent assessment as any excavation, such as conventional pipeline trenching and well site construction, often removes existing overburden, possibly disturbing potentially fossiliferous bedrock. A detailed review of the layout of wellsites and pipelines concludes that most of the developments below the break-in-slope are in areas where field studies have demonstrated that the upper valley slope is made up of unfossiliferous surficial deposits. No bedrock will be disturbed in these areas. However, the following area was not covered in detail by the field studies and may be underlain by bedrock:  West Murphy’s Horn near the middle of the NWA (Sections 25-17-5 W4M and 30- 17-4 W4M) In this area, where a line loop is planned, it is possible that the Project could adversely affect palaeontological resources.

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Increased human presence in the area can also have an indirect effect on palaeontological resources through unauthorized or unethical collecting and site vandalism. For the Project, it is unlikely that increased human presence will adversely affect palaeontological resources because:  industry access is controlled and managed by Suffield Industry Range Control (SIRC) and the Department of National Defence controls and manages public access to the NWA. There is no public access, which limits the number of people with access and controls their activities.  no new roads will be constructed. Access routes to wellsites will be marked and traffic will be restricted to these routes as much as possible. Therefore, accessibility into the region will not substantially improve.  fossil collecting is prohibited

Mitigation Measures

To mitigate any potential adverse environmental effects on palaeontological resources, the following measures will be undertaken:  if any construction site is located within 50 m of substantial slope break, or will be located along any steep valley wall, the site will require a palaeontologic site assessment to be carried out by a qualified palaeontologist any fossils discovered during construction monitoring will be salvaged or excavated by a professional palaeontologist  EnCana will educate its workers to not collect fossils.

Residual Environmental Effect Rating

Factors included in determining the residual environmental effects were: 1. fossiliferous bedrock only occurs on steep valley slopes and rare valley terraces of the South Saskatchewan River 2. EnCana uses minimal disturbance construction techniques, as much as possible 3. EnCana has designed the Project to avoid steep slopes near the South Saskatchewan River where bedrock is at or near the surface The effect of the Project on palaeontological resources during the construction phase can be characterized as being potentially adverse but negligible in magnitude, highly localized, lasting only for the duration of the Construction Phase, and irreversible (Table 3-1).

Summary

The residual environmental effects for the construction phase are predicted to be negligible.

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3.8.2 Conclusion – VSC (Palaeontological Resources) – All Project Phases

Project effects on palaeontological resources were assessed for the construction phase. Potential adverse environmental effects are not expected to occur during the operation or decommissioning and abandonment phases of the Project. Based on the assessment of construction phase activities, project effects on palaeontological resources (VSC) are predicted to be negligible (Table 3-1).

Table 3-1 Summary of Effects Significance on the Palaeontological Resource VSC during Project Phases

Rating by Project Phase

Decommissioning and Criteria Construction Operations Abandonment

Direction Negative N/A N/A

Geographic Extent Local N/A N/A

Duration Short N/A N/A

Magnitude Negligible N/A N/A

Reversibility and Recovery No N/A N/A

Frequency Low N/A N/A

Level of confidence High N/A N/A

Significance Insignificant N/A N/A

3.9 Accidents and Malfunctions

Although unlikely, accidents and malfunctions may occur during project activities that could result in adverse effects. Potential accidents and malfunctions include:  vehicle collisions  accidental releases from vehicles  pipeline releases  blowouts and surface casing vent flow  wildfires Project design, inspection, maintenance and integrity assurance programs, as well as proven engineering techniques will be put in place to minimize the likelihood of such events occurring. In addition, proposed mitigation measures, as outlined in the EPP, will further reduce the risk of any potential accidents or malfunctions. All safety procedures will be documented and implemented before beginning routine operations. Given the nature of the paleontological resources in the project area, as described in Section 3.7.2, it is unlikely that any of the above noted accidents or malfunctions will have

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any adverse effects except, possibly, a pipeline release near the South Saskatchewan River valley wall, which could conceivably spill liquids, if present, down the sides of the valley walls and so possibly damage any exposed fossils. Since these are low pressure gas lines, this situation in not considered likely to occur. As a result, the residual environmental effects are assessed as insignificant. Other accidents and malfunctions would not adversely affect palaeontological resources.

3.10 Cumulative Effects Assessment

A cumulative effects assessment is not required since the project effects on palaeontological resources are negligible.

3.11 Follow-up and Monitoring Recommendations

Any fossils found during the course of construction should be immediately reported to the appropriate authorities. This is in line with provincial reporting procedures under Section 31 of the Alberta Historical Resources Act.

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4 Socio-Economics

4.1 Executive Summary An assessment of potential project social and economic impact was done as part of EnCana Corporation’s (EnCana’s) application for the Shallow Gas Infill Development Project (the Project) in the CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area (NWA).

Selection of Valued Socio-economic Components

Based on issues scoping which included public consultation, professional judgement based on experience with other energy-related projects, consideration of the EIS Guidelines, and analysis of the potential interactions of the Project with the existing environment, eight valued socio-economic components (VSCs) were selected on which to focus the socio- economic impact assessment for the Project. These VSCs included: the Alberta economy; Alberta government revenues; regional employment and income; regional population; public and community services and infrastructure; transportation; land and resource use; and aesthetics.

Existing Conditions

The Project will be developed on the NWA which is a protected landscape that has restricted access, accommodates a limited number of alternative or competing land uses (grazing and research), and is actively managed to sustain and protect key ecological and environmental features. The NWA is in an arid region that supports some large cattle ranches, dryland farming, and extensive gas field activity. The region has a few, small scattered population centres with the largest major community being the City of Medicine Hat. EnCana currently is producing natural gas from about 1145 wells in the immediate vicinity of the NWA. This activity directly employs three or four people per year, with annual operational spending of about $5 million, of which 70 percent is spent within the region.

Key Mitigation Measures

The greatest potential for adverse socio-economic impact relate to effects on grazing, scientific research and transportation. To minimize potential adverse effects on grazing, EnCana will establish and enforce requirements that its staff and contractors comply with the requirements of the EPP and all applicable laws and regulations including those relative to compensation. With respect to impact on scientific research, EnCana will regularly contact CWS to identify current and potential research programs that are underway and will harmonize its drilling and pipelining activities where possible. In terms of transportation impact, EnCana will continue to fix any ruts and other damage that results from EnCana’s activities to county roads or pay for the roads to be fixed.

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EnCana will employ its existing corporate policies to maximize potential employment and business opportunities for regional residents and companies, and will continue to make economic contributions to communities in and around Medicine Hat and Brooks.

Project Impact

Most project effects were rated as insignificant for construction, operations and decommissioning and abandonment. Project impact on regional population and public and community services and infrastructure were rated as negligible. Project impacts on Alberta Government revenues during construction were also found to be negligible. These ratings assume implementation of the mitigation measures recommended in this report. EnCana will work with the PFRA and ranchers to monitor effectiveness of mitigation and modify as required, so that the project impact remain negligible and insignificant.

Cumulative Effects

The approach used to assess the Project’s socio-economic effects involved examining the effects of the Project in the context of other proposed development in the affected region. For example, interpretation of how the Project may affect regional employment, income, population, and demands for services and infrastructure was examined in terms of other announced or reasonably foreseeable economic development projects in the region. Thus, the rating of cumulative effects for each of the socio-economic VSCs is predicted to be the same as the residual effects rating for each of these VSCs (i.e., insignificant or negligible) given the implementation of mitigation as recommended in this report.

4.2 Introduction This section examines the social and economic impact that could result from construction and operations of the Project in the Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Suffield National Wildlife Area (NWA) in southeast Alberta. This socio-economic assessment (SEA) analyzes the potential impact of the Project on economic activities in Alberta as a whole, and, more specifically, on the regional study area (RSA). The assessment describes current social and economic conditions in the RSA and identifies economic development projects that have been proposed, or are reasonably foreseeable. The potential impacts of the Project on regional social and economic conditions are described in the context of other proposed regional development. Opportunities to mitigate potential adverse impact and to enhance positive impact are also identified.

4.3 Study Area Boundaries

4.3.1 Spatial

Spatial boundaries for this assessment consist of a local study area (LSA) nested within the RSA. These study areas provide a spatial context within which to assess socio-economic impact of the Project. The LSA is defined as CFB Suffield (the Base), and includes the NWA. The RSA includes the five surrounding municipal districts (MDs) and counties and their major population centres (see Figure 4-1).

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Highway Waterbody EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development ² Project in the Suffield NWA 0 15 30 60 KM Railway Populated Place Figure: 4-1 Regional Study Area for the While every effort has been taken to ensure the Socio-economic Effect Assessment accuracy of this map, EnCana or its consultants DATE: 2007 - 05 - 10 REVISION: 1 SCALE: 1 : 1,500,000 DATUM: UTM Zone 12, will not be liable for loss or damage resulting from Study Area NAD83 its use. March 2007. MAP BY: SOURCE: I:\GIS\Projects\EE\27000\27035_EIA EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development in CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area Section 4: Socio-Economics

The RSA for this assessment includes: • Cypress County; • County of Newell; • Municipal District of Acadia; • Special Area No. 2; and • Special Area No. 3. These counties include the cities of Brooks and Medicine Hat, two towns, six villages, and 25 hamlets. As of 2001, this region had a population of 91,260 people. This RSA was adopted for the following reasons: • baseline information is readily available; • it contains all the local communities from which the majority of the operational labour force, and much of the construction workforce may be drawn; and • most of the project impact related to economic activity and land use will occur within the region. A detailed assessment of project impact is presented at this regional scale because potential regional impact are usually more significant in magnitude than at a provincial scale and are typically managed and mitigated at a regional level. Project impacts were also examined from the perspective of the Alberta economy. Provincial impacts are only identified in general terms because they are likely to be relatively insignificant with respect to total economic activity, and EnCana’s ability to manage impact beyond the region is limited.

4.3.2 Temporal

The temporal boundaries for this assessment are based on the project phases and schedule described in the Project Description (Volume 1 Section 2.7).

4.4 Key Socio-economic Assessment Issues

4.4.1 Issues Identification

Key socio-economic assessment issues have been derived through a variety of sources, including a review of the EIS Guidelines, previous experience with gas and oil developments and the typical patterns of regional economic activity resulting from gas development, and comments raised as part of the public consultation program. The EIS Guidelines included the following socio-economic issues for consideration: • impact on public and community service infrastructures such as roads, railroads, water supplies, public safety services; • potential impact on the current use of lands and resources used for traditional purposes by First Nations persons; • impact on the visual environment and changes to the aesthetic quality of the landscapes;

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• anticipated changes to traffic (e.g., type, and volume) on local highways during the construction and operations of the Project; • secondary impact that may result from linear development (e.g., secondary trails, increase in recreational users (e.g., anglers)); • local, regional and provincial economic spin-offs associated with the Project and other economic factors (positive and negative) that affect the population (job opportunities, development of related services, local procurement, land and property values) as well as businesses and local government; and • the potential impact of the Project on land uses, including anticipated effects on grazing and any anticipated effects related to changes in public access (e.g., by workers, operators, field technicians). During the public consultation program, various parties commented on potential social and economic impact. These comments (see Volume 1 - Table 4-1 Consultation Program Issues Identified and Comments Raised), were very general in nature and related to: • benefits that the Project would have on employment and income in the regional economy; • opportunities for local businesses; • potential adverse visual impact; and • potential impact on road traffic and accidents.

4.4.2 Scoping Considerations

Following review of baseline information and preliminary impact analyses, it became apparent that some of the issues were not applicable because of the unique circumstances for CFB Suffield and the NWA. These issues include public access, traditional land use, impact on recreation, municipal government finances, and land and property values. Public access to CFB Suffield has been restricted since 1941 when the Base was first established. As noted in Section 4.7.1.4, access to the Base by non-military personnel are limited to people engaged in livestock grazing, oil and gas development, and scientific research. Development of the Project will not result in a change in public access to the Base. Although First Nations people may have, at one time, participated in traditional activities on what is now CFB Suffield, they too have been precluded from access to the Base since 1941. As a result, there is no current use of resources for this purpose in the NWA and this will not change as a result of the Project. Potential impact on the current use of lands and resources used for traditional purposes by First Nations persons is not considered further in this assessment. Due to restrictions on access there is no land-based recreation on the Base and this will not change as a result of the Project. Although some anglers and/or boaters occasionally pass through the base on the South Saskatchewan River, these people are not permitted to dock or access the base itself and would be unaffected by drilling or operations and maintenance activities, especially since the Project would be occurring on the top of the bank. The Project is also not expected to have any impact on recreational activities in the RSA, especially hunting in areas adjacent to CFB Suffield. While these areas are currently heavily used for ungulate and bird hunting, the Project is not anticipated to have any significant

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adverse effects on the habitats or populations of these game species (refer to Volume 3, Section 5). Therefore, impacts on recreation are not considered further. Development of the Project will have no direct measurable effect on municipal government finances because all of the development will occur on lands belonging to DND. Thus, the Project will not affect the assessment base of any of the regional governments, nor will it generate any municipal tax revenues. Land and property values will not be affected by the Project because there is no privately- owned held land on CFB Suffield. The Project will also not affect the use or value of properties adjacent to the Base. For the other issues, assessing the economic and social impact of a proposed project development typically involve determining the extent to which project construction and operations will employ members of the existing regional workforce and will draw new workers and their families into the region. This may result in some regional population growth that results in increased demands on regional infrastructure and community services. Key socio-economic issues include changes in: • provincial employment, as expressed in person-years of work, economic output expressed in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), and labour income; • regional employment, as described in terms of person-years of work and labour income; • regional populations; • public and community infrastructure, including transportation; • land and resource use, including grazing and research in the LSA; and • the visual environment.

4.5 Valued Socio-economic Components Eight socio-economic VSCs were selected to address the various issues identified in Section 4.4. These VSCs and their specific attributes are presented in Table 4-1. Potential project impacts on each of these VSCs are described in Section 4.8.

Table 4-1 Selection of Valued Socio-economic Components Valued Socio-economic Component Attributes Considered 1 Alberta Economy Gross domestic product, labour income and employment 2 Alberta Government Revenues Provincial royalties and mineral taxes 3 Regional Employment Employment and wage impact 4 Regional Population Population growth 5 Public and Community Services and Roads, railways, water supplies, public safety services Infrastructure 6 Transportation Traffic 7 Land and Resource Use Grazing capacity, research 8 Aesthetics Visual impact

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4.6 Methods This section describes specific methods that were used to characterize existing socio- economic conditions and assess potential impact on the socio-economic VSCs.

Characterization of Baseline Conditions

Baseline socio-economic conditions have been determined by drawing information from a variety of publicly-available sources, including government and industry, and submissions from various oil operators. Important sources of public domain data included websites of various municipal governments, traffic information from Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation (AIT) (2006a; 2006b), and population and labour forecasts from Alberta Human Resources and Employment (2006a; 2006b; 2006c) and the 2001 Census by Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada 2002, Internet site). At the time of writing, the 2001 Census was the most current comprehensive source of socio-economic information. Where required, this information was supplemented through interviews with selected regional representatives. In particular, representatives of CFB Suffield were interviewed regarding current activities on the Base, various people associated with grazing activities on the Base, and other people who are familiar with recreational activities along the South Saskatchewan River (see Volume 1 - Table 4-2 Consultation Program Issues Identified and Comments Raised).

Impact Analysis

The assessment of potential impact on the socio-economic VSCs, including characterization of the residual impact, prediction of significance, and statement of level of confidence, generally followed the methodology described in Volume 2. However, project impact that lasted for the duration of project construction (three seasons) were considered short-term while operational impact were considered long-term. In terms of reversibility, project impacts were considered to be reversible as long as the effect was reversed once the effect ceased. The magnitude of project impact was described in terms of the management actions required to address the impact: impact within the normal range of socio-economic variability were considered to be low in magnitude; noticeable effects that were unlikely to pose a serious risk or management challenge were considered moderate; and effects that were considered to represent a serious risk or management challenge were considered to be high in magnitude. At a local or regional level, significant project effects were considered to be those that were high in magnitude and short- or long-term in duration. Significant provincial impacts were those that are moderate to high in magnitude over the long-term. In assessing the attributes of the expected socio-economic impact, the assessment team combined inputs from the following: • Quantitative analyses, such as supply and demand matching, and economic modelling; • Informed source opinions obtained by interviews with officials; and • Professional judgement, based on the training and experience of the analysts. The assessment of project impact on provincial employment and income was completed using information contained in Alberta Economic Multipliers 2002 (Alberta Finance, Statistics, 2006). These multipliers were used to estimate direct, indirect, and induced

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impact. Direct impacts are generated by the direct-hiring of employees by EnCana for the Project. The indirect impacts include economic activity that would result from purchases of goods and services for project construction and operations. Induced impacts result from the spending of earned income generated by direct or indirect employment from the Project. These potential effects are assessed for both the construction and operations phase of the Project on both the economy of the RSA and on the Province of Alberta. Interpretation of how project employment may affect the regional population, services and infrastructure was based on existing regional conditions combined with other demands for labour, and relied on previous professional experience assessing the social and economic impact of other energy projects in Alberta. The significance of potential project impact was assessed by comparing the impact to baseline conditions and future trends that reflect the impact of approved and reasonably foreseeable projects that are expected to be developed within the near future. A list of approved and reasonable foreseeable projects is provided in Tables 4A-11 and 4A-12 of Appendix 4A. This approach is effectively a cumulative impact assessment (CEA) because it examines the impact of the Project in combination with the impact of other proposed projects in the study region. All revenue and cost projections are expressed in terms of 2006 Canadian dollars. Estimates of capital and operating costs are considered accurate to within ±10 percent. Calculations of the economic impact include the margin of error from the engineering estimates as well as a small margin of error the inherently part of using economic multipliers to predict impact. This uncertainty should be considered when interpreting the estimates of economic impact. The visual impact assessment was done using available professional models. For the purposes of assessing visual impact, the "view shed" function of ArcGIS 3D Analyst was employed where the reference point was assumed to be a point one metre above the centre of the South Saskatchewan River, with 50m resolution.

4.7 Existing Conditions The following sections describe current socio-economic conditions. The first section provides an overview of economic, social and land use activities in the LSA, which consists of CFB Suffield (including the NWA). The second section describes socio-economic conditions in the RSA. Further information is provided in Appendix 4A.

4.7.1 Canadian Forces Base Suffield

CFB Suffield is in southeast Alberta, approximately 50 kilometres (km) northwest of Medicine Hat and 250 km southeast of Calgary. CFB Suffield covers approximately 2,690 square kilometres (km2) and is in an arid region that supports some large cattle ranches, dryland farming, and extensive oil and gas field activity. The region has a few small scattered population centres and the largest major community is the City of Medicine Hat.

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4.7.1.1 History

Before1941, the first non-Aboriginal people in the Suffield region were homesteaders and ranchers. Only a small percentage of the land was used for agricultural purposes due to poor growing conditions, and in 1938 the area was declared unfit for agriculture under the Alberta Special Areas Act. Lands in the Suffield region were expropriated in 1941 by the Government of Canada to secure the area as a chemical warfare proving ground for the British military. From 1941 until 1970, the region served as a defence research and experimental proving ground. Due to its sensitive ecological nature, part of the base was designated as being out of bounds for military training in the early 1970s. Since 1971, CFB Suffield has been supporting British Army armoured battle group training. Today, CFB Suffield is a federally owned property and is managed by Department of National Defence (DND). It is Canada’s largest military base (it is larger than the combined area of all other Canadian military training grounds) and one of the largest in the Western world.

4.7.1.2 National Wildlife Area

As noted in Section 1.3.1 of Volume 1, the eastern boundary of CFB Suffield was designated as a National Wildlife Area under the Canada Wildlife Act in 2003. The NWA is described in detail in the environmental setting section of Volume 1. The NWA is out of bounds to any military activity other than weapons templates. Other activities including cattle grazing, gas development, and scientific research are allowed but tightly controlled. There is no public access to the NWA.

4.7.1.3 Residential Development

There are three types of residences within CFB Suffield: military (administrative area which includes the married quarters on the west side of the Base), the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA) which has manager’s house in the south half of the Base and a trailer in the north, and the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) which has two trailers near the PFRA manager’s house. There are no residences within the NWA, but there is a biological field station just outside the NWA that provides office space for researchers and accommodations for up to 12 people.

4.7.1.4 Land Uses

In general, access to the Base is restricted for safety reasons. No private citizens can access the base unless they have been approved by the Base Commander, have a specific purpose (e.g., research), have attended safety training, and have read and understand the Range Standing Orders (RSOs). Typically these people will be escorted while on the Base; however, there are a few exceptions including the following: • The PFRA has broad access to the Base and staff may come and go on the base as required for managing grazing activities on community pastures. • There are four small grazing leases that range from one-quarter section to one-half section in size and are on the border of CFB Suffield: two held by private citizens, and two held by grazing associations. The operators of these leases are restricted to their leases and enter the base from adjacent lands.

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• Oil and gas companies and their contractors can access the entire Base for routine inspections, operations and maintenance according to the terms set out in surface access agreements. Specific route clearance must be obtained from Suffield Industry Range Control Ltd. (SIRC). • CWS representatives have broad access to the Base. Researchers typically attend an annual safety briefing and then when they need to access the base they check in with range control and are in constant radio contact. Occasionally, anglers and boaters pass through the base when using the South Saskatchewan River; however, they are not permitted to dock or access the base itself. There is no traditional land use by First Nations on CFB Suffield (Richmond 2007, pers. comm.).

4.7.1.5 Military Activity

Military activity is the primary use of the base with most of the activity taking place in the Military Training Area (MTA). Military training season is from about May to October and involves mounted manoeuvre exercises (tracked vehicles) and live ammunition firing (tanks, and other weapons). Defence research on the base involves testing and destruction of explosives, rockets, and chemical substances. CFB Suffield employs 106 Canadian Military personnel, and 191 civilian employees. The Base also includes Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) Suffield and the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS). DRDC Suffield employs approximately 150 full time civilians. BATUS has 206 permanent military and 228 full time civilians plus a temporary military staff that fluctuates between 150 and 300 people over the summer training months. The Camp straddles Secondary Highway 844. The west side contains the headquarters for CFB Suffield and BATUS, accommodation for single and unaccompanied soldiers, dining room, bar and messes (BATUS HIVE, 2006). The east side houses the maintenance area, the military police, and Camp Crowfoot, which houses the visiting battle groups. The east half of the camp also serves as the gateway to the training area. Married personnel are housed in the Crown Village of Ralston, which is 3 km north of Suffield and 3 km south of the Base. Ralston has 172 housing units for married couples, offers shopping and extensive recreational facilities, and has a school for children up to the age of 15. The school has between 180 and 200 students, of whom 70 percent are the children of British military personnel (Service Children’s Education 2005). The other students are the children of Canadian military personnel plus some students who live in the hamlet of Suffield. In total, the facilities employ between 1,031 and 1,181 people (Department of National Defence, 2005a). It is estimated that the combined activities of CFB Suffield and BATUS contribute $120 million annually to the local economy through payrolls, and purchases of goods and services (Alberta First, 2006a).

4.7.1.6 Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration Grazing

In 1938, the Suffield Block was declared unfit for agriculture under the Alberta Special Areas Act. But in the early 1960s the local farmers faced a drought and were allowed emergency grazing privileges on the base. In November 1977, PFRA signed two renewable

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leases establishing three community pastures (Department of National Defence, 2005a). Soon afterwards, grazing became a permanent activity in the northeast and southeast quadrants of the Base. Today, about five thousand cattle are grazed from June to October in seven fields in the southeast quadrant, seven fields in the northwest quadrant, and two fields across the river (Kraft 2006, pers. comm.). On the map in Figure 4-2, these fields are in: • the Queenston block; • the Hawk and Falcon blocks as well as the Casa Berardi and Fish Creek areas in the Casa Berardi block, (East of the Falcon block within the Mixed Grassland Area); and • the Koomati block on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River. There is no cattle grazing in the Middle Sand Hill Area (Kraft 2006, pers. comm.).

SOURCE: Environment Canada (2005b)

Figure 4-2 Canadian Forces Base Suffield Some of the proposed drilling will occur in the Casa Berardi block, parts of which are in the NWA. The Casa Berardi pasture covers about 22,202 hectares (54,862 acres) of fenced land west of the South Saskatchewan River. The pasture is subdivided into 12 management units (see Figure 4-3) and has historically provided about 7,285 Animal Units Months (AUMs) of grazing capacity.

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NWA Boundary EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development ² Project in the Suffield NWA 0 2.5 5 10 KM PFRA Grazing Zones (Casa Berardi) Figure 4-3: Grazing Areas in the NWA While every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of this map, EnCana or its consultants DATE: 2007 - 05 - 08 REVISION: 1 SCALE: 1 : 250,000 DATUM: UTM Zone 12, will not be liable for loss or damage resulting from Axys Grazing Zones NAD83 MAP BY: SOURCE: U:\Encana\encana_suffield\Mapping & its use. March 2007. Requests\050307_Volume_5 EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development

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Grazing capacity has ranged considerably from year to year, with drought and other conditions resulting in a 70 percent reduction in capacity in 2002. On average, each acre of land in the Casa Berardi pasture provides 0.13 AUM of grazing capacity, although those parts of the pasture nearest the South Saskatchewan River tend to be able to support higher levels of grazing. A survey done in 2005 found that 15 percent of the area within the Casa Berardi block was not grazed, 39 percent was slightly grazed, 31 percent was lightly grazed and 15 percent was moderately grazed (Bristol, no date). About 1481 adult cattle entered the pasture between May 30 and June 6, and were withdrawn by mid-October. With respect to management of grazing activities, the Suffield Grazing Advisory Committee (SGAC) makes recommendations to the Base Commander regarding animal stocking rates and other ecological concerns. This independent committee consists of range management and wildlife officials who monitor grazing activity on the Base (Environment Canada 2005a). Every two years the Committee prepares utilization reports that assess the grazing effects on the land at 70 vegetation monitoring plots. Every 10 years, it conducts a more in depth range condition assessment that takes two to three months to complete; the last was done in 1998. Although the SGAC makes recommendations about animal stocking rates and other concerns, the day-to-day operations of cattle grazing on CFB Suffield are handled by the PFRA pasture manager and staff. Between 90 and 100 ranchers pay $0.36/day per cow to PFRA to pasture their animals on CFB Suffield. This fee is the same for all PFRA pastures throughout western Canada.

4.7.1.7 Oil and Gas Activity

Beginning in 1975, the Province of Alberta and the Government of Canada reached an agreement which allowed the Alberta Energy Company (now EnCana) to develop oil and gas reserves in the region. Currently, eleven oil and gas companies have access rights on the Base. Major operators include EnCana and Penn West Energy Trust for natural gas and Harvest Energy Trust for oil. However EnCana is the sole gas operator in the NWA (Alberta Sustainable Resource Development 2005). The following companies have mineral rights at CFB Suffield: • ARC Resources Ltd • Britt Resources Ltd. • Canadian Natural Resources Limited • Canol Resources Ltd. • Cipher Exploration Inc. • City Of Medicine Hat • ConocoPhillips Canada Resources Corp. • Direct Energy Marketing Limited • EnCana Corporation • Enermark Inc. • Enerplus Resources Corporation • EOG Resources Canada Inc. • Firefly Resources Ltd. • Firstland Energy Limited

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• Hanna Oil & Gas Company - Canada ULC • Harvest Operations Corp. • Federal Government of Canada • Husky Oil Operations Limited • Maverick Exploration Ltd. • O&G Resources Group Ltd. • Palace Exploration Company Of Canada • Pengrowth Corporation • Penn West Petroleum Ltd. • Petro-Canada • Quicksilver Resources Canada Inc. • Real Resources Inc. • Rider Resources Ltd. • Scollard Energy Inc. • Scott Land And Lease Ltd. • Signalta Resources Limited • Standard Land Company Inc. • Stone Petroleums Ltd. • Supernova Resources Ltd. • Zavanna Canada Corp. • Zenergy Canada Corp. EnCana has drilled 1,145 shallow gas wells over the previous 30 years in the NWA. The average well density ranges from four wells per section (wps) to 16 wps. Individual wells are tied into a natural gas pipeline system through two inch (50.8 mm) lines. The main laterals consist of four and eight inch (101 to 203 mm) lines. There are estimated to be about 760 km of buried pipelines in the NWA. An historical record of annual gas productionand projected future natural gas production from existing wells is provided in Figure 4-4. As of September 2006, approximately 437.6 billion cubic feet (Bcf) had been produced from these wells. Figure 4-4 shows that annual production has been declining since the early 1990s. At the peak (1988), average gas production was about 85 million cubic feet per day (MMcfpd) but this dropped to 29.9 MMcfpd in September 2006. EnCana is seeking approval to drill additional wells in the NWA to efficiently produce the remaining shallow gas reserves within the NWA that have been located by previous drilling programs. EnCana’s operations at CFB Suffield currently provide employment for about 40 people, including management, staff and contract staff. This number has fluctuated to as many as 44 people in 2004. It is expected that 40 staff will continue to be required for the near future. With respect to EnCana’s operations in the NWA, annual employment has been declining from 5.5 persons in 2001 to 3.5 in 2006. An additional decrease, to 3.2 people, is expected for 2007. About 95 percent of EnCana’s current operational employees and contractors are regional residents.

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100 Future NWA Development 90 Historical & Forecast Production 80

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Figure 4-4 Annual Gas Production from EnCana Wells in the National Wildlife Area EnCana personnel work shifts of varying lengths and frequencies, ranging from 8.0 hours per day on a one week rotation to 9.2 hours per day on a three week rotation. Some people work on four, five and six week rotations. Shifts commence between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. EnCana employees, including contractors, typically travel from Medicine Hat and access the Base via Highways 1 and 41, Secondary Highway 844, Range Road 83, Box Springs Road, and Bowmanton Road to meet at one of five coordination points. In 2006, EnCana’s Medicine Hat Business Unit, which administers its activities on CFB Suffield and the NWA as well as in other areas in the County of Newell and Cypress County, spent a total of $504 million on activities in the region. Of this, $188 million was spent on operations and $316 million on capital development. It is estimated that these expenditures employed 651 people through capital activities and 389 people through operations, and that 1936 vendors were working for EnCana in its Medicine Hat Business Unit. It is estimated that $363 million (72 percent) was spent to purchase goods and services directly from businesses in the RSA. Average production from gas wells in the NWA amounted to 29.9 MMcfpd in 2006; this represents about 11.5 percent of EnCana’s total production from CFB Suffield (260 MMcfpd) and 4.3 percent of production from EnCana’s Medicine Hat Business Unit (698 MMcfpd) in 2006. In 2006, EnCana spent about $43.5 million to operate its facilities at CFB Suffield. As shown in Figure 4-5, the largest cost items included repairs and maintenance, and property taxes and lease rentals, with each accounting for about 26 percent of annual costs. Other major items included salaries and benefits, electricity, work-overs and overheads. Based on annual production gas volumes it is estimated that annual operational spending in the NWA is currently about $5.0 million.

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Figure 4-5 EnCana’s Annual Operating Costs at Canadian Forces Base Suffield, 2006 In 2006, EnCana’s Medicine Hat Business Unit reported paying $155.3 million in royalties and $23.8 million on production and mineral taxes. It also paid $5.9 million for oil and gas leases on provincial land. When these amounts are prorated to reflect production volumes, it is estimated that royalties and taxes from CFB Suffield amount to about, $57.8 million and $8.9 million, respectively. The corresponding values for EnCana’s operations in the NWA are estimated to be $6.7 million for royalties and $1.0 million for production and mineral taxes.

4.7.1.8 Scientific Research

CFB Suffield and the NWA are used by scientific researchers such as Environment Canada, the University of Alberta, and the University of Calgary to conduct prairie ecosystem studies. The CWS has spent a number of years studying the NWA and emphasized that the area is very important to the scientific community for monitoring and understanding of natural processes (Trottier 2006, pers. comm.). For the scientific community, the natural characteristics of the NWA are of value in conducting comparative studies to understand the impact of development and assess reclamation projects. DND recognizes the importance of the area for understanding prairie ecosystems as well as long-term management and protection of native habitat in support of regional landscape management (Department of National Defence, 2003). The CWS has a biological field station on CFB Suffield that offers accommodation for 12 people, a cooking facility and office space for researchers and scientists advising the Base with respect to management of the NWA. The building belongs to EnCana and is on the east side of the base adjacent to the NWA, on an oil and gas lease held by EnCana. DND and CWS are in the process of obtaining this area to create a biological field station. The intention is to have DND own and operate the facility which can be used by visiting researchers from universities, Environment Canada and DND.

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4.7.1.9 Recreational Activities

The South Saskatchewan River is currently used by some residents and a few tourists for recreational purposes. While there are no records on actual use of the river, a local resident who owns property upstream from CFB Suffield provided some anecdotal information on the amount of use. He reported travelling on the river about three or four times per week in the fall, when the ranching season slows, and commonly sees one or two other boaters per trip (Ellis 2006, pers. comm.). He noted that, 10 years ago, one would hardly see anyone on the river. Boaters typically go into CFB Suffield up to the lookout shack and then turn around. CFB Suffield provides signs that change colour (red or green) if the military is active in the area. He indicated that boaters are typically locals from Medicine Hat but there are occasionally users from places like Calgary or Edmonton. The majority of patrons use jet boats but some use canoes. Some boaters fish for species such as walleye, pike, and sturgeon (Campbell 2006, pers. comm.). Fishing within the base boundaries is limited. According to the Medicine Hat Paddling Club, there are approximately one to four canoe trips each week during the summer, with as many as 200 trips over the summer. Most of the trips are day trips, with people putting in at either Rapid Narrows (Hargraves Ranch), with access on private property, or at Koomati, across from the Base, and ending at Highway 41. Local residents, who are aware of the access restrictions, paddle right through the base (about 90 km). However, some boaters have been observed camping along the river on the Base, likely because they were unaware of the restrictions. The Club noted that this section of the river is particularly beautiful, with lots of wildlife, and would like to see the recreation access restrictions eased so that more people could visit the region. Aside from activities on the South Saskatchewan River itself (i.e., angling and boating), there is no recreation on CFB Suffield, including the NWA, for reasons of public safety.

4.7.1.10 Traditional Land Use

Traditional land use by First Nations is not permitted on CFB Suffield. Although First Nations have likely used the area in the past, they have not accessed this area since at least 1941 when the land was expropriated from homesteaders for the creation of the Base. For this reason, a traditional land use study has not been done. To identify important historical areas (First Nations and homesteaders), a historical resources study was done for the NWA and is provided in Section 2 of this Volume.

4.7.2 Regional Study Area

The following section provides a summary overview of the socio-economic baseline conditions (existing conditions and anticipated outlook in the absence of the Project) in the RSA. Additional information on baseline conditions in the RSA is provided in Appendix 4A.

4.7.2.1 Description

The RSA covers about 36,105 km2 in Southeast Alberta and the Municipal District of Acadia, Cypress County, County of Newell, Special Area No. 2, and Special Area No. 3. Within these five counties are two urban centres (Brooks and Medicine Hat), two rural towns, six villages, 25 hamlets, and a large rural area. (see Figure 4-1).

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4.7.2.2 First Nations

The study areas are within the boundary of Treaty 7 (1877) and Treaty 4 (1894). Based on information from the Alberta Aboriginal Affairs Indian Reserves 1996 map, the closest First Nations are the Siksika Nation (IR No. 146) and the Blood (Kainai Nation IR No. 148). The Siksika First Nation is in Wheatland County (west of Bassano). The Blood (Kainai Nation) is west and southwest of Lethbridge.

4.7.2.3 Population

In 2001, the RSA had a population of 91,260 people. Nearly 69 percent of the population lived in one of the two major urban centres, and this population increased by 9.5 percent between 1996 and 2001. Another 12 percent of the population resided in one of the nine smaller communities.

4.7.2.4 Population Mobility

Residents of the RSA were slightly less mobile than the provincial average. Just over half the population aged five years and older (52.4 percent) had lived at the same address for the period 1996 and 2001. Another 35.3 percent had changed addresses within Alberta during this period. People who migrated into the region from outside Alberta accounted for 12.4 percent of the population, and this percentage was slightly higher than the Alberta average.

4.7.2.5 Age Characteristics

The age structure of the RSA is generally the same as the provincial average, although it had a slightly higher percentage of residents aged 65 or greater and slightly less in the 25 to 44 age category.

4.7.2.6 Gender

For the population aged 15 to 64 years, there was a nearly balanced ratio of males to females and this was similar to the Alberta average. Overall, 50.9 percent of the population was male and 49.1 percent was female. For most communities in the RSA, the mix of males and females was within two percentage points from the regional average.

4.7.2.7 Labour Force and Employment

Labour Force

In 2001, the total labour force in the RSA amounted to 63,290 people. This number includes the 74.0 percent of regional residents aged 15 and over who were active in the labour force, either working or seeking work. Of these, about 2,874 people or 4.5 percent were unemployed. Compared to the Alberta average, a slightly higher proportion of regional residents were active in the labour force and the regional unemployment rate was nearly a full percentage point below the Alberta rate.

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Employment by Industry

The employment profile for residents of the RSA reflects the economic development history. Approximately 20 percent of RSA residents were employed in agriculture and other resource-based primary industries. This classification includes the oil and gas sector and was almost double the provincial average. Regional employment in manufacturing and construction was also slightly higher than the provincial average. With a higher percentage of people employed in agriculture and resource-based industries or manufacturing and construction (basic employment), the percentage of the regional workforce employed in the service industries (non-basic employment) is slightly less than the provincial average. While the percentage of regional residents employed in the business services industry was 6.5 percent less than the provincial average, regional employment in the other service industries was less than two percent below the provincial average.

4.7.2.8 Educational Attainment

The residents of the RSA have slightly less formal education than the average Albertan. In the RSA, 30.0 percent of residents had not completed high school, compared to 21.7 percent for all of Alberta. Similarly, the percentage of RSA residents with university certificates, diplomas or degrees (10.7 percent) was almost half the provincial average (20.3 percent). However, a higher percentage of RSA residents had a trades certificate or diploma. Within the region, rural residents were the least likely to have graduated from high school while a higher proportion of people living in small communities had a trades certificate or diploma.

4.7.2.9 Recent Trends

Since 2001 there has been a major increase in economic activity in Alberta, with the result that unemployment rates have been dropping. For Alberta, about 5.2 percent of the labour force was unemployed in 2001 and, as shown in Table 4A-9 in Appendix 4A, this dropped to 4.4 per cent in early 2004 and to 3.5 per cent in 2006. A similar trend is evident for the RSA, which is in the Lethbridge–Medicine Hat Region. Unemployment in the RSA dropped from 4.5 percent in 2001 to 3.4 percent in 2004 and 2.6 per cent in 2006. The main reasons contributing to this decline were the re-opening of the United States border to Canadian cattle, an increase in construction activities, and a growing call centre industry (Alberta Human Resources and Employment 2006a). However, between 2004 and 2005, the number of jobs in the forestry, fishing, mining, oil and gas industry, which in the Lethbridge – Medicine Hat Economic Region consists primarily of oil and gas, showed the largest overall increase (4800 jobs) and helped offset a major decrease in agricultural employment (5300 jobs). Currently, this region has the lowest rate of unemployment in Alberta. These low rates suggest that the regional labour force is essentially fully employed.

4.7.2.10 Regional Earnings and Income

In 2000, average earned incomes for individuals in the RSA were $28,178, which was about 13.6 percent less than the provincial average ($32,603). Average earnings ranged from about $21,600 in Special Area No. 2 to a high of $35,100 in Rosemary. In general, average earnings in the urban centres were the highest, followed by the rural populations and then the small communities. For the RSA, just over half the population (52 percent) reported earnings from full time, year round employment. This percentage was slightly lower in the

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urban centres (50 percent), higher for the small communities (53 percent) and highest for the rural population (57 percent).

4.7.2.11 Economic Development

For the near future, the rapid pace of economic development in the RSA is expected to continue. Alberta Economic Development (2006b) maintains a list of all major projects valued at more than $2 million that have been announced or proposed. Overall, the 21 projects have a combined value of nearly $3,208 million.

4.7.2.12 Municipal Government Finances

Information on the revenues and expenses in 2005 shows all six municipal governments generated a budget surplus in 2005. Both cities reported large budget surpluses. Operating surpluses are typically used to build up capital reserves and each of the six municipalities was showing an accumulated operating surplus. Another measure of the health of municipal finances is the extent to which municipalities are in debt. The actual debts for Brooks, Medicine Hat and the County of Newell amounted to less than 30 per cent of their allowable limits. For the other three municipalities actual debt accounted to three percent or less of their debt ceilings. Annual debt servicing costs are also well below the debt servicing limits for all six municipalities. For most municipalities, net property taxes are an important source of annual revenues. Property taxes typically accounted for 40 percent of revenues for the rural municipalities, but were less important in Brooks and Medicine Hat, which both relied on other income sources, such as user fees and sales of services, for a large part of their revenues.

4.7.2.13 Regional Study Area Land Use

Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the primary contributors to the economy of the RSA. The area boasts the longest growing season (more than 120 days) and the highest number of growing degree days in Alberta (Alberta First 2006a). Although much of the area in the county of Newell is irrigated, the majority of the region is used for dryland farming, especially in support of the livestock industry. A large proportion of the crops consist of wheat; other crops grown include canola, flax, barley, oats, corn, carrots, sunflowers, and beans (Alberta First 2006a). In 2001 there were about 2930 farms in the RSA operating on 7.7 million acres of land, which represents 15 percent of farmland in Alberta (Statistics Canada 2002). In 2000, these farms had gross receipts of just over $1.0 billion.

Oil and Gas

The economy of the RSA also has a strong focus on oil and gas industry. The RSA is above a major oil and gas field that stretches between Brooks, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge. Southeast Alberta has 48 percent of all wells in Alberta and 37 percent in all of Canada and employed between 4000 and 5000 people (Soucey 2004). About 8000 new wells were scheduled to be drilled in southeast Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan in 2006 (Economic Development Alliance of Southeast Alberta 2006).

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Recreation

While there is no hunting activity on CFB Suffield or in the National Wildlife Area, the Base provides important wildlife habitat and likely affects wildlife abundance in the surrounding areas. There are currently five wildlife management units (WMUs) that surround CFB Suffield: WMU 124, WMU 144, WMU 148, WMU 150, and WMU 152. Available information suggests that about 6000 hunters per year visit the five management units surrounding CFB Suffield to harvest game (Alberta Sustainable Resource Development 2002). In decreasing order, the most commonly harvested species are white- tailed deer, mule deer, ring-necked pheasant, gray partridge, ducks, Canada goose, and sharp-tailed grouse. While there is also some antelope harvesting in the area, detailed estimates of activity are not available. Big game hunting in the RSA is allowed from early September to the end of November, although hunting is limited to archery until the beginning of November. Hunting for game birds occurs between mid-September and the end of November. Waterfowl hunting lasts from early September to late December.

4.7.2.14 Transportation

Two main transportation routes in the RSA lie adjacent to CFB Suffield. Highway 1 is the major east–west transportation route that ties the Base with Redcliff and Medicine Hat to the east and Brooks, Bassano and Calgary to the west. To gain access to the Base, vehicles must turn north of Highway 1 at Suffield onto Secondary Highway 884 (SH 844), which is the main north–south access route. SH 844 continues on to Jenner and eventually reaches Youngstown (see Figure 4-1).

4.7.3 Summary and Conclusions

In summary, the Project will be developed on the NWA which is a protected landscape that has restricted access, accommodates a limited number of alternative or competing land uses (grazing and research), and is actively managed to sustain and protect key ecological and environmental features. The NWA is in an arid region that supports some large cattle ranches, dry land farming, and extensive gas field activity. The region has a few, small scattered population centres with the largest major community being the City of Medicine Hat. EnCana currently is producing natural gas from 1,145 wells in the NWA and this activity provides a number of benefits for the economy of the region. Gas development in the NWA directly employs three or four people per year, with annual operational spending of about $5 million, of which 70 percent is spent within the region.

4.8 Project Socio-economic Impact Assessment

4.8.1 Mitigation

The assessment of residual socio-economic impact (and cumulative socio-economic impact) takes into consideration the implementation of the range of mitigation measures identified in the Project Description (Volume 1) and supporting documents (e.g., EPP and Conceptual Reclamation Plan).

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The assessment of potential project impact during construction and operations described in Section 4.8.2 is based on the assumption that EnCana will continue to implement its policies related to doing business with local suppliers of goods and services, providing employment and training for First Nations communities, and employing local residents. A summary of EnCana’s policies associated with economic and social impact is provided in Appendix 4B. The assessment also assumes that EnCana will employ a variety of mitigation measures, many of which EnCana is already practicing as part of its current operations in the NWA. These mitigation measures are summarized below. Specific socio-economic mitigation measures related to land use and transportation include the following: • EnCana will continue to enforce requirements that its staff and contractors close all gates in the community pasture and adopt appropriate driving standards while in designated pastures. • EnCana will continue to work with PFRA and ranchers to monitor the effectiveness of these policies, and monitor and address any problems related to fencing. • EnCana will continue to consult with the PFRA and ranchers with respect to entering the grazing leases for operations and maintenance activities during the spring, summer and fall grazing periods. • EnCana will continue to repair the damage or replacing grazing-related infrastructure damaged as a result of EnCana’s activities. • EnCana will continue to pay compensation for any cattle killed or injured caused by EnCana’s activities in the NWA. • EnCana will continue to regularly contact CWS to identify current and potential research programs are underway and will harmonize its drilling and pipelining activities where possible. • EnCana will continue to fix any ruts and other damage resulting from EnCana’s activity to county roads or pay for the roads to be fixed. • Additional specific mitigation measures are identified in the assessment of project impact on individual VSCs in Section 4.8.2. In addition to providing mitigation strategies for addressing potential adverse impact, EnCana recognizes the potential for enhancing project impact by providing financial support to communities in the RSA. At present, EnCana’s Medicine Hat Business Unit has made annual contributions to the communities in and around Medicine Hat and Brooks. The contributions totalled $724,939 in 2005 and $582,754 in 2006. This money is typically distributed among various charities, clubs, tournaments, and sports teams. Specific contributions have been made for new playground equipment in Ralston, and sponsorship for the Alberta Summer Games, the Christmas Telethon, and the Economics of Staying in School Program in Medicine Hat. EnCana’s ongoing presence in the NWA will help these contributions to regional communities to continue.

4.8.2 Project Impact Assessment by Valued Socio-economic Component and Project Phase

This section describes the assessment of potential impact on socio-economic conditions in the RSA. The assessment generally follows the methodology described in Volume 2 but has been adapted to better characterize socio-economic impact as described in Section 4.6.

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4.8.2.1 Alberta Economy

Construction Phase

Project impact on the provincial economy have commenced with preconstruction activities related to preparing this socio-economic impact statement and conducting detailed site assessments. Total spending on pre-construction activities is estimated to be $5.1 million. However, based on actual spending to date, it is estimated that five percent will be used to purchase goods and services from outside Alberta. The other $4.8 million will be spent in Alberta and using the most recent multiplier information for the Professional, Scientific and Technical Services Industry, pre-construction activities will generate $5.2 million (2006$) in provincial economic activity (Gross Domestic Product or GDP), $3.7 million in labour income, and 75 person-years of employment (Alberta Finance, Statistics 2006). The impact shown in Table 4-2 include direct employment on the pre-construction activities; indirect impact that result from purchases of goods and services needed to support pre-construction; plus induced impact that occur when the project labour force spends its income on consumer goods. In relation to the size of the Alberta economy, the impact of pre-construction activities can be characterized as positive, low magnitude, provincial, short-term, regular, and considered not significant.

Table 4-2 Annual Provincial Economic Impact of Pre-construction Activities Gross Domestic Product Labour Income Employment $(2006) million Person-years Direct $2.7 $2.3 42.2 Indirect $1.1 $0.7 14.5 Induced $1.4 $0.7 18.2 Total $5.2 $3.7 74.9

The total cost of drilling 1275 new wells over three seasons is estimated to be about $199 million, or $66 million per year. According to the most recent economic multiplier information for the oil and gas extraction industry in Alberta, this level of spending would generate about $62.5 million per year (2006$) in provincial economic activity (Gross Domestic Product or GDP), $16.6 million in labour income, and 175 person-years of employment (Alberta Finance, Statistics 2006). These numbers include direct, indirect and induced impact. Table 4-3 shows that the drilling program is directly expected to generate $44.8 million in GDP, $5.9 million in labour income and 50 person-years of employment. Given the seasonal nature of the work (mid-October to mid-March), this represents employment for about 120 people per drilling season. Despite the higher annual expenditures associated with the drilling programs, the annual direct impact on labour are not much greater than the direct employment impact associated with pre-construction activities. This occurs because the pre-construction activities are very labour intensive, while drilling and completion involve major expenditures on support goods and services that result in very high induced impact.

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Table 4-3 Annual Provincial Economic Impact of Proposed Drilling Program Gross Domestic Product Labour Income Employment $(2006) million Person-years Direct $44.8 $5.9 49.8 Indirect $11.2 $7.1 117.1 Induced $6.3 $3.6 12.1 Total $62.3 $16.6 179.0

Operations Phase

Once drilling has been completed, it estimated that annual operating expenditures will continue to be about $5 million per year. Based on the multiplier information for the oil and gas extraction industry in Alberta, this level of expenditure will result in about $4.7 million in economic activity (GDP) in Alberta. The estimated annual direct, indirect and induced impact associated with operations are provided in Table 4-4.

Table 4-4 Annual Provincial Economic Impact of Operations Gross Domestic Product Labour Income Employment $(2006) million Person-years Direct $3.4 $0.4 3.8 Indirect $0.8 $0.5 8.8 Induced $0.5 $0.3 0.9 Total $4.7 $1.2 13.5

It should be noted that the 3.8 person-years of direct employment matches EnCana’s current level of employment in the NWA and indicates that the existing workforce will continue to be employed in the NWA to service the new wells.

Decommissioning and Abandonment Phase

The total costs of decommissioning are expected to be $44.6 million, although these expenditures will be spread over 20 years as each of the 1275 new wells is decommissioned and abandoned. The potential cumulative economic impact of total spending on decommissioning are summarized in Table 4-5, and were calculated using the economic multipliers for the oil and gas extraction industry. The expected cumulative economic impact resulting from all decommissioning activities will be very similar to the magnitude of the economic impact associated with one year of the drilling program. If decommissioning costs were incurred equally over 20 years, the annual economic impact would amount to an increase in provincial income of $0.6 million and 8.7 person-years of employment. Given these impact will take place up to 40 years in the future, they cannot be

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estimated with a high level of confidence (i.e., the structure of the provincial economy will likely change over time).

Table 4-5 Cumulative Provincial Economic Impact of Decommissioning Gross Domestic Product Labour Income Employment $(2006) million Person-years Direct $30.1 $3.9 33.3 Indirect $7.5 $4.8 86.9 Induced $4.3 $2.5 53.8 Total $41.9 $11.2 173.9 Annual $2.1 $0.6 8.7

Summary of Residual Socio-economic Impact

The predicted residual impact on the Alberta economy are characterized in Table 4-6 using the assessment criteria defined in the methodology (Volume 2) as adapted for socio- economic impact (Section 4.6). Residual impact of the Project on the Alberta economy are rated as insignificant.

Table 4-6 Summary of Project Impact on the Alberta Economy

Rating by Project Phase

Criteria Construction Operations Decommissioning

Direction Positive Positive Positive

Geographic Extent Provincial Provincial Provincial

Duration Short-term Long-term Long-term

Frequency Continuous Continuous Regular

Reversibility and Reversible Reversible Reversible Recovery

Magnitude Low Low Low

Level of Confidence High High Medium

Significance Insignificant Insignificant Insignificant

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4.8.2.2 Alberta Government Revenues

Construction Phase

During the construction phase, the Project’s potential impact on provincial revenues will take the form of income tax and sales tax revenue for the labour, goods and services required for drilling and constructing the pipeline. However, given that the provincial economy is currently fully employed, it is likely that resources employed on the Project would be otherwise employed and would generate the same income tax revenues. For this reason, the Project would have no noticeable impact on Alberta government revenues during the construction phase.

Operations Phase

The greatest project effect on Alberta Government revenues will come during the Operations phase in the form of royalties and mineral taxes associated with the additional volumes of natural gas extracted from the NWA. Figure 4-6 shows that, over the next 20 to 40 years, an additional 125.5 Bcf of natural gas will be recovered.

Figure 4-6 Incremental Natural Gas Production from the National Wildlife Area This increased natural gas production is expected to contribute $73.3 million in crown royalties, $23.6 million in other royalties and $1.0 million in mineral taxes over the first 15 years of the Project. It is estimated that 12 percent of the revenue from the Project will be paid in Federal resource taxes and six percent in provincial taxes. While these are large and tangible benefits, they are relatively small relative to the size of the Alberta economy.

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Decommissioning and Abandonment Phase

Potential impact on provincial revenues during decommissioning and abandonment will take the form of income tax and sales tax revenue for the labour, goods and services required for these activities. The extent of project impact will ultimately depend on whether the resources used for decommissioning and abandonment would other wise be unemployed or underemployed at the time. If resources are fully employed at the time of decommissioning, as they are now, there would be no change in government revenues. However, the current high levels of employment might not be sustained over the longer- term, so there may be some small potential for use of underemployed resources, resulting in a small net increase in potential Alberta government revenues.

Summary of Residual Socio-economic Impact

The predicted residual impact on government revenues are characterized in Table 4-7.

Table 4-7 Summary of Project Impact on Alberta Government Revenues

Rating by Project Phase

Criteria Construction Operations Decommissioning

Direction Positive Positive Positive

Geographic Extent Provincial Provincial Provincial

Duration Short-term Long-term Long-term

Frequency Continuous Continuous Regular

Reversibility and Reversible Reversible Reversible Recovery

Magnitude Low Low Low

Level of Confidence High High Medium

Significance Negligible Insignificant Insignificant

Residual impact of the Project on government revenues and finances are rated as insignificant for the operations and decommissioning phases of the Project and negligible for the construction phase.

4.8.2.3 Regional Employment and Income

The pre-construction, drilling, operations, and decommissioning of the additional wells will provide some employment for residents of the RSA. However, the regional impact will not be quite as large as the provincial impact because the regional economy is smaller and less diverse and not as fully capable of providing the full range of goods and services required by the drilling program and ongoing operations. Purchases of goods and services from local and established businesses currently account for about 70 percent of EnCana’s current

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operational spending. As this practice reflects EnCana’s policies related to hiring local contractors, it is expected that this regional percentage will be maintained during the drilling, operations and decommissioning of the additional wells. In estimating regional project impact, this factor is used to estimate direct, indirect and induced impact.

Construction Phase

The construction phase of the Project includes various pre-construction activities, such as completing engineering and environmental studies, as well as the drilling program. For assessing pre-construction impact, it is estimated that purchases of regional goods and services will only account for 20 percent of total spending. This lower percentage reflects that observation that most of the work on this environmental impact statement (EIS) and detailed site assessments will be done by consultants from Calgary and other communities outside the RSA. The estimate of 70 percent of construction spending occurring with the RSA is consistent with the observation that, based on industrial employment profiles for the RSA and Alberta (see Section 4A.1.7.2 in Appendix 4A) the RSA had a less developed service industry, such that the ratio of non-basic to basic employment was only 60 to 65 percent of the corresponding provincial ratio. Basic employment includes occupations in agriculture and other resource-based industries, manufacturing and construction industries. Non-basic employment refers to employment in wholesale and retail trade, finance and real estate, health and education, business services, and other services. This approach to calculating regional multipliers is found in Nourse (1968). Estimates of the economic impact of pre-construction activities on the regional economy are provided in Table 4-8. The overall regional impact are quite small – 15 person-years of employment and $0.7 million in labour income – because most of the consultants hired to undertake this work will be from outside the RSA.

Table 4-8 Annual Regional Economic Impact of Pre-Construction Activities GDP Labour Income Employment $(2006) million Person-years Direct $0.5 $0.5 8.4 Indirect $0.2 $0.1 2.9 Induced $0.3 $0.1 3.6 Total $1.0 $0.7 15.0

For each of the three drilling seasons, it is expected that regional economic activity (GDP) will increase by about $43.6 million, with $11.6 million in labour income creating 125 person-years of employment. As shown in Table 4-9, only about 30 percent of employment will be related to direct employment in the drilling program. The majority of employment will occur in regional businesses that will supply the goods and services needed to support the drilling program.

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Table 4-9 Annual Regional Economic Impact of Proposed Construction GDP Labour Income Employment $(2006) million Person-years Direct $31.4 $4.1 34.9 Indirect $7.8 $5.0 82.0 Induced $4.4 $2.5 8.5 Total $43.6 $11.6 125.3

Total earned income in 2000 for the RSA was estimated to be $1,758.3 million so, at best, the income generated by the construction phase would account for less than 0.5 percent of regional earnings. However, for the small numbers of regional residents who are directly or indirectly employed on the Project, this income impact will be an important benefit of the Project. Based on the 2005 multiplier information, it is estimated that regional workers directly or indirectly involved in drilling will receive average annual incomes (including benefits) of about $72,600 although people directly employed on the drilling program are expected to receive higher incomes of about $117,900 (Alberta Finance, Statistics 2006). While these wages are significantly higher than the average incomes reported for 2000, they are not inconsistent with wages being paid to workers in the oil and gas industry. Based on a review of wages and salaries in Alberta in 2005, petroleum engineers, geological engineers, and oil and gas drilling and service supervisors all reported average wages (excluding benefits) about $85,000 to $97,000 (Alberta Learning Information Service 2006). In most situations, the creation of high paying jobs and the resulting labour income would be seen as a project benefit. However, given that the regional labour force is essentially fully employed at the present time, an offer of higher wages may result in some workers being drawn away from their existing lower-paying occupations, resulting in labour shortages in other sectors and adding to inflationary pressures in the region. In this situation, higher wages could be seen as an adverse effect of the Project. For this Project the overall employment impacts associated with construction will be relatively small and, by themselves, are not likely to have an adverse effect on regional earnings and income. If regional wage inflation does occur in the near future, it is more likely that this will be associated with the labour force requirements of other major construction projects in the region. As noted in Section 4A.1.11 in Appendix 4A, the pace of economic development in the RSA has been and continues to be quite rapid, with 21 major projects valued at nearly $3,208 million either announced or proposed. The largest single project for the region is the proposed Bow City Power Project in the County of Newell; at an estimated cost of $2,400 million. In comparison to these other planned or announced projects, the economic impact of the proposed $200 million Project in the NWA will be relatively small (equivalent to six percent of the value of the 21 projects). And, while the labour required to construct these other projects may stress the regional labour force, which had a 2.6 percent unemployment rate in 2006, the small amounts of regional labour required for the drilling program and annual operations will not significantly affect future regional economic development. While it might appear that the Project could exacerbate problems of labour shortages and inflationary pressures in the regional economy

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(cumulative impact), this is not likely given the skill requirements for drilling and pipelining are fundamentally different from those of the conventional construction industry.

Operations Phase

For each year of operations, annual spending of $5 million will generate about $4.3 million in regional economic activity (GDP), $1.0 million in labour income and 10.6 person-years of employment. Table 4-10 shows that about 60 percent of the expected employment benefits will occur in regional businesses that supply the goods and services needed for operations and maintenance.

Table 4-10 Annual Regional Economic Impact of Operations GDP Labour Income Employment $(2006) million Person-years Direct $3.4 $0.4 3.8 Indirect $0.6 $0.4 6.2 Induced $0.4 $0.2 0.6 Total $4.3 $1.0 10.6

The $0.8 million in labour income represents less than 0.04 percent of estimated total regional earnings in 2000. The estimates of direct regional impact are the same as direct provincial impact because all of the operational workforce will reside in the RSA. The direct employment associated with project operations can be counted as benefits because, without the Project, declining gas production from the NWA may result in less employment. Thus, project development will serve to provide continued employment for the people currently directly employed for gas extraction in the NWA. It is estimated that regional workers directly or indirectly involved in operations will receive average annual incomes (including benefits) of about $72,600 (Alberta Finance, Statistics 2006). Although these wages are significantly higher than the average incomes reported for 2000, they are not inconsistent with wages being paid to workers in the oil and gas industry (Alberta Learning Information Service 2006). Given the small number of people who will be involved in operations, it is not expected that the Project will exacerbate existing regional labour shortages or inflationary pressures over the long-term.

Decommissioning and Abandonment Phase

Decommissioning will also generate some regional economic activity (see Table 4-11). Spending of the entire decommissioning budget is predicted to create $7.8 million in labour income and 122 person-years of employment over a period of at least 20 years. Assuming that decommissioning activities are spread evenly over 20 years, the resulting average annual regional impact would include 6 person-years of employment and $0.4 million in labour income. These average annual impacts are equivalent to about half of the annual impact associated with project operations (Table 4-10).

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Table 4-11 Cumulative Regional Economic Impact of Decommissioning and Abandonment GDP Labour Income Employment $(2006) million Person-years Direct $21.1 $2.7 23.3 Indirect $5.3 $3.4 60.8 Induced $3.0 $1.8 37.7 Total $29.3 $7.8 121.7 Average $1.5 $0.4 6.1 Average annual incomes for regional workers directly or indirectly involved in decommissioning are estimated to be about $72,600 in 2006 dollars (Alberta Finance, Statistics 2006). Due to the small number of people required for decommissioning, it is unlikely that the Project will result in future regional labour shortages or contribute to inflationary pressures during the period in which decommissioning occurs.

Summary of Residual Socio-economic Impact

The predicted residual impact on regional employment and income are characterized in Table 4-12. Residual impact of the Project on regional employment and income are rated as insignificant.

Table 4-12 Summary of Residual Impact on Regional Employment and Income

Rating by Project Phase

Criteria Construction Operations Decommissioning

Direction Positive Positive Positive

Geographic Extent Regional Regional Regional

Duration Medium-term Long-term Long-term

Frequency Continuous Continuous Regular

Reversibility and Reversible Reversible Reversible Recovery

Magnitude Low Low Low

Level of Confidence High High Medium

Significance Insignificant Insignificant Insignificant

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4.8.2.4 Regional Population

The employment opportunities provided during the three-year construction phase will be filled either by regional residents or by contractors who temporarily live in commercial accommodation during the winter drilling seasons. Thus, the construction phase will not affect the size of the regional population. While project operations will provide 3.8 person-years of direct long-term employment, these people are currently employed in the NWA and might face unemployment if the Project is not approved. For this reason, project operations will not affect the size of the regional population. It is expected that decommissioning will be undertaken by a combination of regional residents and by contractors who temporarily live in the region. project decommissioning will not affect the size of the regional population. The predicted residual impact on regional population are characterized in Table 4-13. Residual impact of the Project on regional employment are rated as negligible.

Table 4-13 Summary of Residual Impact on the Regional Population

Rating by Project Phase

Criteria Construction Operations Decommissioning

Direction Neutral Positive Neutral

Geographic Extent Regional Regional Regional

Duration Short-term Long-term Long-term

Frequency Continuous Continuous Regular

Reversibility and Reversible Reversible Reversible Recovery

Magnitude Negligible Negligible Negligible

Level of Confidence High High High

Significance Negligible Negligible Negligible

4.8.2.5 Public and Community Services and Infrastructure

As the Project will have no impact on the regional population and the project impact on the regional economy expected to not be significant, there are anticipated to be little or no impact on public and community infrastructure, such as railways or regional water supplies. While the Project is proposing to purchase some of its water requirements from the City of Medicine Hat, these demands will be small when compared to the amount of water that the City is entitled to use under the terms of its four water licences (98,679 cubic decametres). With respect to potential demands for public safety services, there is no public access to the NWA and emergency response protocols will be developed with Suffield Industry Range Control (SIRC). EnCana will be operating in accordance with the safety rules of Alberta

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Occupation Health and Safety and, as is current practice, will require that its contractors have an emergency vehicle on-site. The predicted residual impact on regional population are characterized in Table 4-14. Residual impact of the Project on public and community services and infrastructure are rated as negligible.

Table 4-14 Residual Impact on Public and Community Services and Infrastructure

Rating by Project Phase

Criteria Construction Operations Decommissioning

Direction Neutral Neutral Neutral

Geographic Extent Regional Regional Regional

Duration Short-term Long-term Long-term

Frequency Continuous Continuous Regular

Reversibility and Reversible Reversible Reversible Recovery

Magnitude Negligible Negligible Negligible

Level of Confidence High High High

Significance Negligible Negligible Negligible

4.8.2.6 Transportation

Construction Phase

During the construction periods, it is expected that as many as 30 vehicles per day will be travelling in and out of the NWA, probably along Highway 1 to Medicine Hat. Potential effects of traffic flows on traffic on Highway 1 are expected to be minimal (see Section A.1.13.4 in Appendix 4A) because the average traffic flows along this portion of the Highway are currently about 8600 vehicles per day. The incremental traffic associated with project construction represents an increase of less than 0.7 percent of current volumes. With all of the construction activity occurring in the NWA, there is not expected to be any increase in traffic volumes on SH 844, which is on the west side of CFB Suffield. Much of the construction traffic is expected to reach the NWA via Box Springs Road. Current AADT on Box Spring Road at the intersection with Highway 1 was 5840 vehicles in 2005, so the addition of 30 vehicles per day (one way) would only increase traffic volumes by one percent. The potential effects of project-related traffic on Box Springs Road north of Redcliff are not specifically known at this point, but are likely within the design capacity of the road.

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With respect to potential impact on road maintenance, it is expected that the additional truck traffic would not be significant because roads are most vulnerable to damage in the spring and most of the drilling activity is scheduled to occur during the winter months. Project impact on roads during the spring thaw will be minimized by observing posted vehicle weight restrictions. Furthermore, as current practice, EnCana adheres to closures (i.e., ceases activity) on CFB Suffield during wet weather conditions While EnCana does not have a formal road use agreement with Cypress County, it currently fixes any ruts resulting from EnCana activity and other damage to the roads or pays for the roads to be fixed, and will continue this practice.

Operations Phase

Transportation impact during project operations phase are expected to be minimal because there will be no change in the number of people that EnCana will directly employ to operate and maintain wells in the NWA and total operational expenditures will remain the same as at present. EnCana will continue to fix any ruts and other damage to County roads or pay for the roads to be fixed.

Decommissioning and Abandonment Phase

The traffic requirements associated with decommissioning and abandonment are unknown at this time but, based on the annual employment requirements, will likely be less than for operations. While decommissioning of individual wells may involve numerous vehicles for short periods, the average annual daily traffic is expected to be quite small.

Summary of Residual Socio-economic Impact

The predicted residual impact on transportation are described in Table 4-15.

Table 4-15 Summary of Residual Socio-economic Impact on Transportation

Rating by Project Phase

Criteria Construction Operations Decommissioning

Direction Negative Negative Negative

Geographic Extent Regional Regional Regional

Duration Short-term Long-term Long-term

Frequency Continuous Continuous Regular

Reversibility and Reversible Reversible Reversible Recovery

Magnitude Low Low Low

Level of Confidence High High Medium

Significance Insignificant Insignificant Insignificant

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Residual impact of the Project on transportation are rated as insignificant assuming implementation of mitigation measures as outlined in Section 4.8.1.

4.8.2.7 Land and Resource Use

This VSC focuses on potential impact of the Project on livestock grazing and research activities.

Construction Phase

As noted in Section 4.7.1.6, there are three community pastures and four small grazing leases on CFB Suffield. Increased gas development in the NWA will occur on parts of one community pasture and one grazing lease. Potential project effects of concern include direct interference with grazing, the potential loss of grazing capacity due to surface land disturbances, damages to grazing-related infrastructure (fences and gates), and direct mortality of cattle through collisions with vehicles. It is expected that the construction phase will not directly interfere with cattle grazing because drilling activities will occur in the winter period from mid October through mid- March when there are no cattle in the NWA. With respect to potential changes in grazing capacity, the assessment of project effects on vegetation communities (Volume 3 Section 3) indicates that project construction will have no significant effects on the abundance or distribution of plant species that support grazing. Thus, no reduction in grazing capacity is expected. It is expected that the SGAC will continue to monitor grazing conditions on the base and make recommendations that will balance cattle stocking rates with other ecological concerns. During construction there is some potential for direct interference with grazing as a result of damages to infrastructure. Existing oil and gas development at CFB Suffield periodically results in damages to grazing-related infrastructure such as fences and gates. It is expected that some such damages will continue to occur in the NWA as a result of existing gas extraction activities and that the potential for such damage will increase as a result of increased activity during the Project. The magnitude of these potential problems can be reduced by adopting the following mitigation measure: • EnCana will continue to repair the damage or replace grazing-related infrastructure damage as a result of EnCana’s activities. As explained in Section 4.7.1.8, the NWA is currently being used by the CWS and others for biological and ecological research, although access to the area is still tightly controlled. While there is some potential for the Project to interfere with research activities, there is limited potential for adverse effects because most of the physically-disruptive activities that occur during construction (e.g., well drilling and completion and installation of pipelines) are scheduled to occur during the winter months, when research activities are minimal. It is expected that, though coordination with the research community, potential project construction impact on research can be minimized. EnCana will regularly contact CWS to identify current and potential research programs are underway and will harmonize its drilling and pipelining activities where possible to avoid research sites.

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Operations Phase

The assessment of project effects on vegetation communities (Volume 3 Section 3.0) indicates that project operations will not affect the abundance or distribution of plant species that support grazing. However, there is some potential of direct interference with grazing as a result of gates being left open and cattle getting out, fences around gas sites not being properly maintained, and cattle getting tangled in fencing. As noted above, some damage to fences and gates already occurs as a result of oil and gas development at CFB Suffield and this is expected to continue. In addition, collisions between oil and gas traffic and livestock result in the deaths of two or three animals per year at CFB Suffield. Project operations may actually increase the potential for damage to both grazing infrastructure and cattle. The following mitigation is proposed to minimize effects of the Project on livestock grazing during the operations phase. • EnCana will establish and enforce requirements that its staff and contractors to close all gates in the community pasture and adopt appropriate driving standards while in designated pastures. • EnCana will continue to work with PFRA and ranchers to monitor the effectiveness of these policies, and monitor and address any problems related to fencing. • EnCana will continue to consult with PFRA and ranchers with respect to entering the grazing leases for operations and maintenance activities during the spring, summer and fall grazing periods. • EnCana will continue to repair the damage or replacing grazing-related infrastructure damaged as a result of EnCana’s activities. • EnCana will continue to pay compensation for any cattle killed or injured as a consequence of EnCana’s activities. Project operations also have the ability to affect research activities in the NWA, although the types of future operational activities are essentially the same as occur presently. While increased operational activity in the NWA may increase the potential for adverse effects on research activities, it is expected that these effects can be minimized though communication and coordination with the CWS and parties undertaking research in the NWA.

Decommissioning and Abandonment Phase

Although decommissioning and abandonment could affect both livestock grazing and research in the NWA, these effects would be relatively minor compared to the construction phase and would be minimized by adopting the mitigation measures identified above for construction and operations.

Summary of Residual Socio-economic Impact

The predicted residual impact on land and resource use are described in Table 4-16. Residual impact of the Project on land and resources use are rated as insignificant assuming implementation of mitigation measures for each project phase as outlined above.

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Table 4-16 Summary of Residual Impact on Land and Resource Use

Rating by Project Phase

Criteria Construction Operations Decommissioning

Direction Negative Negative Negative

Geographic Extent Local Local Local

Duration Short-term Long-term Long-term

Frequency Occasional Occasional Occasional

Reversibility and Reversible Reversible Reversible Recovery

Magnitude Low Low Low

Level of Confidence Moderate Moderate Low

Significance Insignificant Insignificant Insignificant

4.8.2.8 Aesthetics

Construction Phase

During the construction phase, it is possible that the visible presence of drilling rigs in the NWA may affect the quality of the recreational experience by people using the river. To assess these effects, a viewshed analysis was undertaken using GIS techniques that determined whether structures above the valley walls could be seen from the South Saskatchewan River. The viewshed analysis assumed that the observer would be located at one metre above the centre of the River and assesses what parts of the landscape could be seen from that location. The resulting analysis (see Figure 4-7) showed that, because of the deep valley, people traveling along the river would have a very limited viewshed such that it would not be possible to see structures above the top of bank at most locations, especially since drilling rigs would be no closer than 100 m from the slope break at the valley edge. The assessment indicates that it might be possible to see drilling rigs at 50 of the 1275 drilling locations (four percent). However, this visual effect will be temporary and is not expected to greatly affect the recreation experience.

Operations Phase

During project operations, no structures would be visible from the South Saskatchewan River, so there would be no effect on the visual environment.

Decommissioning and Abandonment Phase

During project decommissioning and abandonment, no structures would be visible from the South Saskatchewan River, so there would be no effect on the visual environment.

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Legend

Proposed Wells (In Viewshed) EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development ² NWA Boundary Project in the Suffield NWA 0 2.5 5 10 KM ! Proposed Wells South Saskatchewan River Figure 4-7: Well Site Viewshed from While every effort has been taken to ensure the the South Saskatchewan River accuracy of this map, EnCana or its consultants DATE: 2007 - 05 - 10 REVISION: 0 SCALE: 1 : 250,000 DATUM: UTM Zone 12, will not be liable for loss or damage resulting from South Saskatchewan River Viewshed NAD83 MAP BY: SOURCE: U:\Encana\encana_suffield\Mapping & its use. March 2007. Requests\050307_Volume_5 EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development

in CFB Suffield National Wildlife Area Section 4: Socio-Economics

Summary of Residual Socio-economic Impact

The predicted residual impact on aesthetics are described in Table 4-17.

Table 4-17 Summary of Residual Impact on Aesthetics

Rating by Project Phase

Criteria Construction Operations Decommissioning

Direction Negative Neutral Neutral

Geographic Extent Local Local Local

Duration Short-term Long-term Long-term

Frequency Continuous Continuous Regular

Reversibility and Recovery Reversible Reversible Reversible

Magnitude Low Negligible Negligible

Level of Confidence Moderate Moderate Low

Significance Insignificant Negligible Negligible

Residual impact of the Project on aesthetics are rated as insignificant during the construction phase and negligible for operations and decommissioning.

4.8.3 Accidents and Malfunctions

The Project Description provides an overview of potential malfunctions and accidental events that could result in adverse effects (Volume 1 Section 2.3.5). These include collisions and releases from vehicles, pipeline releases, blowouts and surface casing vent flow, and grassland fires. While the potential for these events will be limited by design, inspection, maintenance, integrity assurance programs and proven engineering techniques, EnCana’s existing Environmental Protection Plan (EPP) and Emergency Response Plan (ERP) will minimize adverse effects if a malfunction or an accident were to occur. From a socio-economic perspective, accidents and malfunctions can have both negative and positive effects. In other settings, an accident or malfunction can be expected to adversely affect landowners, resource users and the public who may be affected by a release directly (property damage) or indirectly (prohibitions or restrictions on access, recreation, commercial activities or water use). In the NWA, there is no public land access, there is no private landownership, and other land uses are limited to grazing on PFRA community pastures. Consequently, an accident or malfunction would only affect grazing capacity or the health of cattle and the mitigation measures would result in environmental effect of insignificant.

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On the other hand, the cleanup activities associated with an accident or malfunction may generate regional social and economic benefits in terms of employment and business opportunities for companies hired to perform clean-up and repair. The magnitude of these benefits will depend on the nature of the accident or malfunction and the resulting costs, and cannot be readily quantified at this time. However, it is expected that, should an event occur, EnCana would employ trained regional clean-up companies that are under contract to a number of oil and gas operators to provide emergency support services in the Medicine Hat region. Since these crews are always on call, the provision of emergency services to address an accident or malfunction in the NWA would not result in any new employment in the RSA. There would be insignificant residual socio-economic effects should an accident or malfunction occur.

4.8.4 Summary of Residual Socio-economic Impact

The residual impact of the Project on the socio-economic VSCs are generally considered to be insignificant for all phases of the Project. These ratings assume implementation of the mitigation measures recommended in this report. For two of the VSCs - regional population and public and community services and infrastructure – the residual project impact are considered to be negligible. Project impact on Alberta Government revenues during the construction phase are also considered to be negligible.

4.9 Cumulative Effects The EIS Guidelines call for a cumulative analysis of the residual effects resulting from the Project, in combination with the effects of other projects and activities in the area. Section 4A.1.11 of Appendix 4A summarizes major projects valued at more than $2 million that have been recently completed, are under construction or are proposed to start construction in the province of Alberta. Overall, 21 projects have a combined value of nearly $3,208 million. Sixteen of the projects are proposed for Brooks and Medicine Hat, and would have a combined value of $235 million. As noted in Section 4.6, the assessment approach employed in assessing the Project’s socio- economic effects has involved examining the effects of the Project in the context of other proposed development in the affected region. The demands of specific major projects (see Section 4.7.2.11), as well as normal economic growth, were considered in assessing the potential significance of expected project impact. The impact assessment for the Alberta economy, government revenues, regional employment and income, population, and public and community services and infrastructure inherently consider the residual impact of the Project in the context of other proposed development in the affected region. The rating of cumulative effects is therefore predicted to be the same as the residual impact rating for each of these VSCs (i.e., insignificant and negligible). With respect to assessing the cumulative effects on land and resource use in the NWA, the Project will potentially increase the intensity of gas development in an area that is already being used for livestock grazing and scientific research and is actively managed to sustain the unique characteristics of the NWA. This analysis has considered the potential incremental effects that the Project might have on land and resource use in the NWA and

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has determined that, with adoption of appropriate mitigation activities, any incremental or cumulative effects would be insignificant.

4.10 Follow-up and Monitoring As noted in Section 4.8.2.5, the Project is expected to have an insignificant adverse effect on land use as long as appropriate mitigation strategies are in place. Appropriate mitigation includes having EnCana will continue to establish and enforce policies for its staff and contractors, when working in the community pasture, to close all gates, employ appropriate driving practices and monitor and address any problems related to fencing while in designated pastures. To make these policies effective, EnCana will work with PFRA and ranchers to monitor the effectiveness of these policies and to modify them as required to help project impact remain negligible. EnCana will also work with the CWS and other research organizations so that its activities do not adversely affect ongoing research activities in the NWA.

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5 References

Alberta Community Development 2006. Significant Historical Sites and Areas, September, 2006 edition. Restricted Version, Cultural Facilities and Historical Resources Division Alberta Economic Development, 2006a. Monthly Economic Review; May 2006. Available at http://www.alberta-canada.com/statpub/economicHighlights/economicReviews.cfm Alberta Economic Development, 2006b. Inventory of Major Alberta Projects. Available at http://www.alberta-canada.com/statpub/albertaConstructionProjects/mpindex.cfm Alberta Community Development, 2002. Archaeological and Palaeontological Research Permit Regulation (Alberta Regulation 254/2002). Alberta Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture, Edmonton Alberta Finance, Statistics (2006). Alberta Economic Multipliers 2002. Alberta First, 2006a. Alberta Community Profiles: Medicine Hat. Available at http://www.albertafirst.com/profiles/statspack/20375.html Alberta First, 2006b. Alberta Community Profiles: Cypress County. Available at http://www.albertafirst.com/profiles/statspack/20375.html Alberta Geological Survey, Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, 2005. Geological Map of Alberta. Alberta Geological Survey, Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, Edmonton, Alberta. CD-ROM version. Alberta Human Resources and Employment (2006a). 2005 Annual Alberta Regional Labour Market Review. Available at http://www.hre.gov.ab.ca/documents/LMI/LMI-LFS_2005_aarlmr.pdf. Alberta Human Resources and Employment (2006b). Alberta’s Occupational Demand and Supply Outlook 2006-2016. Available at http://www.hre.gov.ab.ca/documents/LMI/LMI- LMF_supply_model.pdf Alberta Human Resources and Employment (2006c). Alberta Regional Population Outlook 2006-2011. Available at http://www.hre.gov.ab.ca/documents/LMI/LMI-LMF_2006-11_outlook.pdf Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation, 2006b. Intersection Turning Movement Diagrams. Available at http://www.infratrans.gov.ab.ca/INFTRA_Content/docType181/production/hnp007.htm Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation, 2006a. Traffic Volumes at Points on the Highway. Available at http://www.infratrans.gov.ab.ca/INFTRA_Content/docType181/production/hnp003.htm Alberta Learning Information Service, 2006. 2005 Alberta Wage and Salary Survey. Available at http://www.alis.gov.ab.ca/wageinfo/Content/RequestAction.asp?format=html&aspAction=GetWa geHomePage&Page=Home Alberta Municipal Affairs, 2006. Municipal Profiles: City of Medicine Hat. Available at http://www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/cfml/profiles/index.cfm. Alberta Municipal Affairs, 2006. Municipal Profiles: MD of Acadia. Available at http://www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/cfml/profiles/index.cfm. Alberta Municipal Affairs, 2006. Municipal Profiles: Cypress County. Available at http://www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/cfml/profiles/index.cfm.

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Alberta Municipal Affairs, 2006. Municipal Profiles: Special Areas. Available at http://www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/cfml/profiles/index.cfm. Alberta Municipal Affairs, 2006. Municipal Profiles: City of Brooks. Available at http://www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/cfml/profiles/index.cfm. Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, 2006. Wildlife Diseases. Available at http://www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fw/diseases Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, 2005. Recovery Plan for Ord’s Kangaroo Rat in Alberta. Alberta Ord’s Kangaroo Rat Recovery Team. Available at http://www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fw/speciesatrisk/pdf/OKRA_Dec_05_final_Fixed_TOC_BOYD.pdf Alberta Sustainable Resource Development, 2002. 2000/2001 Harvest and Effort by Resident Hunters. Available by species at http://www.srd.gov.ab.ca/fw/hunting/2001Harvest.html. Archaeological Survey of Alberta, 1989. Guidelines for Archaeological Permit Holders in Alberta. Archaeological Survey of Alberta, Historical Resources Division Alberta Culture and Multiculturalism, Edmonton. BATUS HIVE, 2006. Information Sheet 1c; Location Overview. Available at http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/22888AF0-B57C-4095-B600-3BEDDEA6EE4C/0/batus.pdf. Borden, Charles E. 1952. A Uniform Site Designation Scheme for Canada. In: Anthropology in British Columbia, No. 3, pp. 44-48. Brink, J., 1986. Dog Days in Southern Alberta. Archaeological Survey of Alberta Occasional Paper No. 28, Edmonton (bound with No. 27). Brink, Jack W., Kristine Wright-Fedynicak and Dean Wetzel, 2003. “A Review of Certain Stone Alignments and Rock Cairns in Alberta Archaeology” in Archaeology in Alberta, A View from the New Millennium, edited by Jack W. Brink and John F. Dormaar. Archaeological Society of Alberta, Medicine Hat, pp. 208-241. Bristol, Bill (no date). Interim grazing and Utilization Report for DND Suffield September, 2005. Brumley, J.H., 1975. The Cactus Flower Site in Southeastern Alberta: 1972-1974 Excavations. Archaeological Survey of Canada Paper No. 46, National Museum of Man Mercury Series, Ottawa. Brumley, J.H. and Barry J. Dau, 1985. Final Report Proposed Historical Resource Development Zones on the Suffield Military Reserve, Alberta, Volume 1 Text. Unpublished consultant’s report on file with the Archaeological Survey of Alberta. Canada Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, Canada Centre for Mapping. 1994. Watching Hills, Hilda, and Middle Sand Hills, Alberta. [CD-ROM; ETopo]. Edition 3. 1:50,000. Canada 1:50,000, sheets 72 L 07, 72 L 08, and 72 L 09. Ottawa: Canada Centre for Mapping. “Medicine Hat, Alberta”, 1:250,000, sheet 82 P. Cultural Facilities and Historical Resources Division, Alberta Community Development, 2006. Listing of significant historical sites and areas – public version. September, 2006 ed. Currie, P. C. and E. B. Koppelhus, editors, 2005. Dinosaur Provincial Park: A Spectacular Ecosystem Revealed. Indiana University Press. 648 pp Department of National Defence (no date). Canadian Forces Base Suffield Range Standing Orders, Chapter 7, Oil and Gas Activity Protocols. Draft Version 5.

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Department of National Defense, 2005a. History of CFB Suffield. Available at http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/cfb_suffield/history.html. Department of National Defence, 2005b. Canadian Force Base Suffield: Environment. Available at http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/cfb_suffield/environment.html Department of National Defence, 2003. National Wildlife Area CFB Suffield. Available at http://www.army.gc.ca/Suffield/English/backgrounder_dnd.asp Economic Development Alliance of Southeast Alberta, 2006. Profiler. vailable at http://www.nickles.com/marketplace/pdfs/EDA-gps06.pdf Edwards, W.A.D., D.R. Eccles, D.R. Bosvert and S.A. Miller. 1994. Preglacial sand and gravel deposits, southern Alberta. Alberta Research Council Map 221. EnCana Corporation, 2006. Aboriginal Guidelines. Available at http://www.encana.com/responsibility/community/ar_employment_training.html EnCana Corporation, 2006. Business Conduct and Ethics Practice. Available at http://www.encana.com/responsibility/business_practice/index.html EnCana Corporation, 2006. Corporate Responsibility Policy. Available at http://www.encana.com/responsibility/business_practice/cr_policy.html Environment Canada, 2005. Canadian Force Base Suffield National Wildlife Area: Location and Uses of Base. Available at http://www.pnr-rpn.ec.gc.ca/nature/whp/nwa/suffield/vt/dd03s02.en.html. Environment Canada, 2005. Canadian Force Base Suffield National Wildlife Area: History and Status. Available at http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/nature/whp/nwa/suffield/dd02s02.en.html Environment Canada, 2005. CFB Suffield Canadian Forces Base National Wildlife Area Available at http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/nature/whp/nwa/suffield/dd02s00.en.html. Environment Canada. Review August 6, 2006. Accessed on August 13, 2006. Fidler, Peter, 1792. Journal of a Journey Overland from Buckingham House to the Rocky Mountains. Unpublished manuscript in the Alberta Provincial Archives, Edmonton. Fladmark, K.R., 1978. A Guide to Basic Archaeological Field Procedures. Department of Archaeology Simon Fraser University, Publication No. 4, Burnaby, B.C. Forbis, R. G., 1962. “The Old Women's Buffalo Jump, Alberta” in: National Museum of Canada, Bulletin 180, Contributions to Anthropology, 1960. Pt. 1, Ottawa, pp. 56-123. Forbis, R. G.,1977. Cluny: An ancient fortified village in Alberta. Department of Archaeology Occasional Papers No. 4, University of Calgary. Government of Canada, 2006. Regulations Amending the Wildlife Area Regulations, Canada Gazette, June 12, 2003. Available at http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partII/2003/20030702/html/sor226-e.html Government of Canada, 2003. South Saskatchewan River Project. Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration Available at http://www.agr.gc.ca/pfra/pub/ssaskr_e.htm Gryba, E., 1983. Sibbald Creek: 11,000 years of Human Use of the Alberta Foothills. Archaeological Survey of Alberta Occasional Papers No. 22. Alberta Culture, Edmonton. Harington, C.R. 1978. Quaternary vertebrate faunas of Canada and Alaska and their suggestted chronological sequence. Syllogeus No. 15. National Museums of Canada and national Museum of Natural Sciences. Ottawa, ON.

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Hjermstad, B., 1991. T.R.A.C.E. An artefact recording program in south-central Alberta. Archaeological Society of Alberta, Calgary Centre, in cooperation with Canada Employment and Immigration, Calgary, South Office. Report on file at the Archaeological Survey of Alberta, Edmonton. Johnson, H., and J. E. Storer, 1974. A Guide to the Vertebrate Fossils From the Age of Dinosaurs, Provincial Museum of Alberta, Special Publication No. 4. 129 pp McPherson, R.A. 1972. Surficial Geology, Medicine Hat, NTS 72L. Research Council of Alberta. 1:250,000 map. Newman, P. C., 1985. Company of Adventurers. Penguin Books, Markham. Ng, Tommy Y., 2006. Final Report Historical Resource Impact Assessment EnCana Corporation, National Wildlife Area, C.F.B. Suffield (ASA Permit 2006-476), unpublished consultants report on file with the Heritage Resource Management Branch of Alberta Community Development. Nourse, Hugh O., 1968. Regional Economics. McGraw-Hill Book Company. Province of Alberta, 2002. Historical Resources Act: Archaeological and Palaeontological Research Permit Regulation, Alberta Regulation 254/2002. Alberta Queen’s Printer. 12 pp. Province of Alberta, 2000. Historical Resources Act, Chapter H-9, the Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000. Alberta Queen’s Printer. 34 pp. Province of Alberta, 1998. Historical Resources Act: Dispositions Regulation, Alberta Regulation 101/1998. Alberta Queen’s Printer. 9 pp. Reeves, Brian O. K., 1969. “The Southern Alberta Paleo-Cultural - Paleo-Environmental Sequence” in: Post-Pleistocene Man and His Environment on the Northern Plains, edited by R.G. Forbis, L.B. Davis, O.A. Christensen, and G. Fedirchuk. University of Calgary Archaeological Association, Calgary, pp. 6-46. Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Resource Management, 2001. Guide to Conducting Palaeontologic Historical Resource Assessments in the Province of Alberta. Service Children’s Education, 2005. Ralston Village School. Available at http://www.sceschools.com/schools/Canada/Ralston.HTM. Spry, I. M, 1963. The Palliser Expedition: An account of John Palliser’s British North American Exploring Expedition 1857-1860. MacMillan, Toronto. Spurling, B. E. and B. F. Ball, 1981. “On some Distributions of the Oxbow 'Complex'”. In: Canadian Journal of Archaeology, Volume 5, pp. 89-102. Soucey, Kristin, 2006. “Final Report Archaeological Resource Management Model for the Suffield National Wildlife Area”, in Appendix 2 of Final Report Historical Resource Impact Assessment EnCana Corporation, National Wildlife Area, C.F.B. Suffield (ASA Permit 2006-476) by Tommy Y. Ng, unpublished consultant’s report on file with the Heritage Resource Management Branch of Alberta Community Development. Sourcy, Roger, 2004. Alberta’s Petroleum Industry: Its Impact on Southeast Alberta in 2005 and Beyond. Petroleum Services Association of Canada. Available at http://www.psac.ca/pdf/Med_Hat_Dec_2004.pdf. Statistics Canada. 2002. 2001 Community Profiles. Released June 27, 2002. Last modified: 2005-11-30. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 93F0053XIE.

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Statistics Canada, 2002. 2001 Census of Agriculture for Alberta. Available at http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sdd5726 Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, Alberta Culture, 1984. Palaeontological Resource Sensitivity Zones. Map scale 1:1,000,000. Alberta Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, Edmonton, Alberta. Vickers, J. Roderick, 1986. Alberta Plains Prehistory: A Review. Archaeological Survey of Alberta Occasional Paper No. 27, Edmonton. Walker, E. G., 1992. The Gowen Sites. Cultural Responses to Climatic Warming on the Northern Plains (7500-5000 B.P.). Archaeological Survey of Canada Mercury Series Paper 145. Canadian Museum of Civilization, 208 p. Wikipedia, 2006. Medicine Hat, Alberta. Available at http://www.answers.com/topic/medicine-hat- alberta Wilson, S.M., 2005, APR 2005-66C: The Palaeontological Historical Resource Impact Assessment of the GEX Resources Medicine Hat 13-8-17-3W4M Well Site and Access Road, Cypress County, Southeast Region. 15 pp Wilson, S.M. and D.K. Zelenitsky. 2006. The Palaeontological Historical Resource Impact Assessment of the EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development Project, CFB Suffield National Wild Life Area, Cypress County, Southeast Region, Alberta, Report No. APR 2006-N37, RTMP Project File 3948-82P-11, December 22, 2006. Wormington, H.M and Richard G. Forbis, 1965. An Introduction to the Archaeology of Alberta, Canada. Proceedings No. 1, Denver Museum of Natural History.

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6 Glossary

Animal Units Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development define an Animal Unit Month Months (AUMs) (AUM) as being the amount of forage required by an "animal unit" grazing for one month. The standard animal unit is defined as one mature 1000 lb cow with a calf, or equivalent, and is based upon the average daily forage intake of 26 pounds of dry matter per day. That consumption, combined with a factor for tramping and waste of about 25 per cent, results in an estimate of about 1000 pounds of dry matter (DM) from forage to supply one AU each month. Average Annual Refers to the average daily two-way traffic volume at a point on the highway Daily Traffic expressed as vehicles per day for the period of January 1 to December 31 (365 or (AADT) 366 days). Basic Refers to people employed in the agriculture and resource-base industries or employment manufacturing and construction. Bearpaw Marine rocks that were deposited from approximately 74.8 million to 72.5 million Formation years ago. Bedrock Solid or lithified rock, exposed at the surface or overlain by unconsolidated material, such as glacial till, weathered rock, or soil. Borden (system) A Canada-wide, geographically based system for recording heritage sites (Borden 1952). In this part of Canada, each block is ten minutes of latitude by ten minutes of longitude. In Alberta, the size of a Borden block varies from 84 square miles in the south to 60 square miles in the north of the province. Each block is referred to by a four letter-code that uniquely describes the location of that block. Sites are sequentially numbered within each block in the order in which they are discovered and reported. Dinosaur Park Non marine rocks that were deposited from approximately 76.4 million to 74.8 Formation million years ago. Foremost Mostly non-marine rocks that were deposited from approximately 79.2 million to Formation 77.7 million years ago Fossils Evidence of past life, such as a dinosaur bone, ancient clam shell, petrified wood, or leaf imprint in a rock. Gross Domestic Refers to the unduplicated value of all goods and services produced in a year within Product (GDP) Alberta’s borders measured at market prices. It is the standard measure of the overall size of the economy. Hadrosaur duck billed dinosaur. Historic resource Defined in the Alberta Historical Resources Act, “means any work of nature or of humans that is primarily of value for its palaeontological, archaeological, prehistoric, historic, cultural, natural, scientific or esthetic interest including, but not limited to, a palaeontological, archaeological, prehistoric, historic or natural site, structure or object.” The Historical Resources Act also recognizes that historical resources are non-renewable.

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Historical The identifiction and evaluation historical resource sites in an area that may Resource Impact potentially be affected by a project, leading to the development of avoidance or Assessment mitigation strategies to ensure the protection of these resources. An HRIA is three (HRIA) components: a background and literature research and review of relevant published and unpublished provincial site files and reports to identify any documented historical resource sites that could be affected by the proposed land development. Follow by field investigations to identify and record new and previously recorded historical resources sites, and involving a pedesterian surface survey and subsurface testing; and, The documentation and reporting of the HRIA results for submission to the Alberta government. Historical Conducted to determine whether a full HRIA is necessary. The HRO is based on a Resource system used by the Alberta government (CFHRD, 2006). An HRO identifies the Overview (HRO) proposed locations for well sites, pipelines, access roads, associated tie-ins and any other associated developments and examines two factors: local topography surrounding the proposed developments, and proximity of previous known historical resource sites. If the local topography demonstrates a good probability for the presence of new historical resource sites, such as proximity to water, hills or any upland features, an HRIA will be recommended. The presence of known historical resource sites within the general vicinity of the proposed developments indicates a high potential for encountering new and unrecorded historic resource sites, so an HRIA will also be recommended to assess the potential impact. Historical A number assigned by Alberta Community Development to tracts of land that have Resource Value the potential to contain valuable archaeological or paleontological remains. Late Cretaceous A time in geologic history ranging from approximately 97 to 65 million years before Period the present. Lithics Stone tools or projectiles or associated with stone tools. Non-basic Refers to people employed in the service industries , including wholesale and retail employment trade, finance and real estate, health and education, business services, and other services. Oldman Non marine rocks that were deposited from approximately 77.7 million to 76.4 Formation million years ago. Palaeontologic Fossil. resource Palaeontology The study of life from past geologic periods that deals with fossil plants and animals. Person-year A measure of employment that can represnts represent one person working for continuously for 12 months, 12 persons working for one month or, in the case of the proposed drilling program, 2.4 persons working for five months.

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