Appendix 6.8-A
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Appendix 6.8-A Terrestrial Wildlife and Vegetation Baseline Report AJAX PROJECT Environmental Assessment Certificate Application / Environmental Impact Statement for a Comprehensive Study Ajax Mine Terrestrial Wildlife and Vegetation Baseline Report Prepared for KGHM Ajax Mining Inc. Prepared by This image cannot currently be displayed. Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. #112, 9547 152 St. Surrey, BC V3R 5Y5 July 2015 Ajax Mine Terrestrial Wildlife and Vegetation Baseline Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. DISCLAIMER This report was prepared exclusively for KGHM Ajax Mining Inc. by Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. The quality of information, conclusions and estimates contained herein is consistent with the level of effort expended and is based on: i) information available at the time of preparation; ii) data collected by Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. and/or supplied by outside sources; and iii) the assumptions, conditions and qualifications set forth in this report. This report is intended for use by KGHM Ajax Mining Inc. only, subject to the terms and conditions of its contract with Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. Any other use, or reliance on this report by any third party, is at that party’s sole risk. 2 Ajax Mine Terrestrial Wildlife and Vegetation Baseline Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Baseline wildlife and habitat surveys were initiated in 2007 to support a future impact assessment for the redevelopment of two existing, but currently inactive, open pit mines southwest of Kamloops. Detailed Project plans were not available at that time, so the general areas of activity were buffered to define a study area. The two general Project areas at the time were New Afton, an open pit just south of Highway 1, and Ajax, east of Jacko Lake. Standard Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping (TEM) was completed at 1:20,000 for that study area, including field-truthing during the summer of 2007. A preliminary list of VCs (Valued Components) and indicator taxa was prepared based on at-risk taxa for the area, taxa of regional and Aboriginal Groups concern, and taxa likely to interact with the Project based upon their life history and geographical range. Wildlife surveys for particular indicators were planned when significant data gaps existed. These baseline wildlife surveys were used to document the presence and distribution of target taxa in the study area. Wildlife surveys conducted during the 2007 and 2008 field seasons included breeding bird surveys, woodpecker surveys, bat detector surveys, waterfowl surveys, small mammal trapping, amphibian surveys, snake hibernacula surveys, owl call playback surveys and rare plant surveys. Notable results included the detections of a number of federally and provincially listed wildlife and plant taxa. Exploration and planning for the Project continued and study areas were periodically revised. The New Afton development area was removed from the area under consideration. The Project’s control was passed to KGHM Ajax Mining Inc. (KAM) released more detailed plans, including revised draft footprint areas in early 2010. Some of the revised footprints for the Ajax Project were outside of the previously mapped area, so additional TEM mapping was completed to incorporate those areas. The federal and provincial status of some wildlife and plant taxa had been revised, so the preliminary VC and indicators list prepared in 2007 was updated in 2012. Additional wildlife and vegetation surveys were completed to ensure coverage of the new footprints. Baseline studies were also guided by the requirements defined in the Project Application Information Requirements (AIR), along with input from government, First Nations, and other stakeholders. Additional changes to the footprints were made and the Project General Arrangement were released by KAM in August 2014. The ecosystem mapping prepared for the Project was used to produce suitability maps for some of the indicator taxa. Suitability maps, field survey results and review of existing information were used to produce this baseline report to support the Project’s Environmental Assessment. 3 Ajax Mine Terrestrial Wildlife and Vegetation Baseline Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. Acknowledgements We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of our field crews, Chris Albrecht, Lorraine Andrusiak, Curtis Björk, Derek Cheng, Carolyn Churchland, Shawn Hilton, Steve Howard, Pablo Jost, Denis Knopp (BC Wild Heritage), Todd Kohler, Randy Krichbaum and Margaret Horvath (Eagle Cap Consulting), Daniel McAllister, Tom Plath, Kyle Routledge, Mike Sarell (Ophiuchus Consulting), T. Kyle Simpson, Shey Simpson, Lauren Simpson, Kelly Stout, Polly Uunila (Polar Geoscience), and Shane White. Polly Uunila drafted the bioterrain section. Randy Krichbaum drafted the rare plant section. Laura Smithies of KGHM Ajax Mining provided project co-ordination. Trevor Fulcher, Nicole Anderson and Rob Maciak of KGHM Ajax Mining provided gate keys, field co-ordination and information on mining operations. Staff at the BC Conservation Data Centre supplied data on species at risk in and near the Project. Doug Jury (retired) and Francis Iredale of the Kamloops Ministry of Environment and Lands office were both very helpful in providing information on biology and local distribution of wildlife species at risk, and Doug kindly reviewed and provided comments on the Sharp-tailed Grouse species account. Carmen Cadrin (BC CDC), and Mike Ryan (BC MFLNRO) provided much-appreciated information on ecosystems in the LSA. Chris Brodie, Stephanie Eagen, Basil Girgrah and Jessica Mackie of Knight-Piésold provided contract management and background Project information. Special thanks to the local landowners who allowed us to conduct wildlife surveys on their land, and who shared their knowledge of the local fauna. 4 Ajax Mine Terrestrial Wildlife and Vegetation Baseline Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 16 2.0 PROJECT SETTING ............................................................................................................................... 16 3.0 APPROACH ............................................................................................................................................ 19 3.1 Baseline Reporting ............................................................................................................................... 19 3.2 Issues Identification and Scoping ........................................................................................................ 19 3.3 Selection of Valued Components, Key Indicators and Measurable Parameters .................................. 20 3.4 Local Study Area ................................................................................................................................. 21 3.5 Concerns Identified During Aboriginal Groups Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement .............. 24 3.6 Valued Component, Key Indicators and Measurable Parameters ........................................................ 24 4.0 TERRESTRIAL HABITATS .................................................................................................................. 33 4.1 Biogeoclimatic Variants ...................................................................................................................... 33 4.2 Bioterrain ............................................................................................................................................. 36 4.3 Terrestrial Ecosystem Mapping ........................................................................................................... 39 5.0 RARE PLANTS ...................................................................................................................................... 57 5.1 Baseline ............................................................................................................................................... 57 5.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................................... 57 5.3 Results ................................................................................................................................................. 60 6.0 RARE ECOLOGICAL COMMUNITIES AND SENSITIVE ECOSYSTEMS (EXCLUDING GRASSLANDS) ................................................................................................................................................. 74 6.1 Baseline ............................................................................................................................................... 74 6.2 Methods ............................................................................................................................................... 76 6.3 Results ................................................................................................................................................. 76 7.0 GRASSLANDS ....................................................................................................................................... 84 7.1 Baseline ............................................................................................................................................... 84 5 Ajax Mine Terrestrial Wildlife and Vegetation Baseline Keystone Wildlife Research Ltd. 7.2 Methods ..............................................................................................................................................