Rare Wildlife Survey with Special Emphasis on Presence/Not Detected Surveys for the Pacific Water Shrew ( Sorex bendirii ) in GVRD’s Kanaka Creek Regional Park Forest Extension and Upper Kanaka Creek, Maple Ridge, BC Prepared by: Jason Barsanti BSc. and Francis J.Iredale BSc. British Columbia Conservation Corps Submitted to: B.C.’s Wild Heritage Consultants British Columbia Conservation Foundation Allouette Field Naturalists Greater Vancouver Regional District B.C. Ministry of Environment British Columbia Conservation Corps November 2005 BC Wild Heritage Consultants Upper Kanaka Creek Rare Fauna Survey Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the Greater Vancouver Regional District and the Federation of BC Naturalists for project funding. We would also like to thank the British Columbia Conservation Corps, Allouette Field Naturalists, and B.C.’s Wild Heritage Consultants for their assistance with trap set up and checking. This project would not have been possible without the assistance of volunteers who gave up their time to check the traps on a daily basis: John and Tilde Castiello, Duanne Van Den Berg , Greg Ferguson, Mike Gildersleeve , Ross Vennesland, Joanne Neilson, Yukiko and Rio Tanaka, Dwight Milford, and Vanessa Elton. Denis Knopp and Alana Hilton aided in the identification of amphibians. Denis also provided us with valuable input during the surveys and report writing. ___________________________________________________ __________________ i British Columbia Conservation Corps November 2005 BC Wild Heritage Consultants Upper Kanaka Creek Rare Fauna Survey Table of Contents Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................... i Definition of Terms and Acronyms ...............................................................................iii Abstract........................................................................................................................... 1 1.0 Introduction............................................................................................................... 2 1.1 Background........................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Site History ........................................................................................................... 3 2.0 Methods..................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Study Area ............................................................................................................ 4 2.2 Trap line Details.................................................................................................... 5 3.0 Results....................................................................................................................... 7 4.0 Discussion................................................................................................................. 8 5.0 Recommendations..................................................................................................... 9 6.0 References and Literature Cited.............................................................................. 11 Appendix A: Trapping Permit ...................................................................................... 13 Appendix B: Trap Line Layout..................................................................................... 14 Appendix C: Site Photos............................................................................................... 15 Appendix D: GPS Data................................................................................................. 17 Appendix E: Wildlife Observations and Photos ........................................................... 18 ___________________________________________________ __________________ ii British Columbia Conservation Corps November 2005 BC Wild Heritage Consultants Upper Kanaka Creek Rare Fauna Survey Definition of Terms and Acronyms BEC- Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification BMPs- Best Management Practices CDC- Conservation Data Centre COSEWIC- Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada CWD- Coarse Woody Debris CWH- Coastal Western Hemlock DFO- Department of Fisheries and Oceans dm- dry-maritime FRPA - Forest Range and Practices Act GPS- Global Positioning System GVRD- Greater Vancouver Regional District IWMS- Identified Wildlife Management Strategy POC- Point of Commencement PWS- Pacific Water Shrew RMZ- Resource Management Zone SARA - Species at Risk Act TCS- Time Constrained Search ___________________________________________________ __________________ iii British Columbia Conservation Corps November 2005 BC Wild Heritage Consultants Upper Kanaka Creek Rare Fauna Survey Abstract B.C.’s Wild Heritage Environmental Consultants, in conjunction with the British Columbia Conservation Corps and Alouette Field Naturalists, conducted presence/not detected surveys for rare wildlife in the upper portions of Kanaka Creek focusing on the Pacific Water Shrew (PWS) ( Sorex bendirii) . Small mammal and amphibian surveys were conducted in accordance with the terms established under the trapping permit SU05-11441 (Appendix A). This complements Goal A of the Recovery Strategy for the PWS – ensuring that current populations of PWS are maintained with no further loss of populations (Craig and Vennesland 2004). The potential for PWS to occur within the project area is high as ranked by the Best Management Practices (BMP) for PWS (Craig and Vennesland 2005) and managers should plan accordingly by providing travel corridors along waterways. Incidental observations, such as the blue-listed cutthroat trout (Oncrhynchus clarki clarki ), coastal tailed frog ( Ascaphus truei ), and red-legged frog (Rana aurora ) underlie the ecological value of the area and are noted within the context of this report. PWS survey sessions were conducted from August 8 to Sept 20, 2005 within the 7,500 ha forest of the Blue Mountain area located east of Alouette Lake, Maple Ridge. Included in the study area was the Greater Vancouver Regional District’s (GVRD) Kanaka Creek Regional Park, with the headwaters of Kanaka Creek originating from Blue Mountain. Two woodlots border the study area – Woodlot 007 is adjacent to Kanaka Creek Regional Park forest extension and Woodlot 38 is in the Blue Mountain Provincial Forest area. Sites surveyed represent high habitat capability for the PWS and were assessed under the draft Best Management Guidelines for PWS in Urban and Rural Areas (Craig and Vennesland 2005). In order to protect the ecological integrity of Kanaka Creek Regional Park the GVRD should amend the park boundaries to include the headwaters. Headwaters and small watercourses historically receive little to no protection. Evidence of silt loading into a small creek as a result of a compromised silt fence and failure to establish an adequate fishery setback along a small watercourse within Woodlot 007 substantiates this claim. In addition to the headwaters of Kanaka Creek being protected, adjacent woodlot licensees are advised to manage for connectivity objectives of the landscape unit. Connectivity could be maintained or provided for using variable width linkages as part of forest ecosystem networks (FPC 1995), including non-fish bearing streams. Woodlot licensees are advised to establish buffers from the park boundary and to reduce the hard edge leading up to the buffer. Further surveys are needed to identify sensitive habitats and rare species bordering the woodlots for habitat setback referral. The Federation of BC Naturalists and the GVRD provided direct funding for this project. Support through provision of labour was also provided by the British Columbia Conservation Corps. ___________________________________________________ __________________ 1 British Columbia Conservation Corps November 2005 BC Wild Heritage Consultants Upper Kanaka Creek Rare Fauna Survey 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background The Fraser Lowland area is a Canadian biodiversity hotspot, containing the highest diversity of habitat elements and amphibians and reptiles in BC (Pojar et al. 1991). Riparian drainages surveyed in this area are likely home to threatened species of amphibians, fish and small mammals. Headwater streams receive little protection enabling human influences, such as urban development and forest harvesting, to lead to a decline and/or extinction of local amphibian populations (Stoddard 2005). Investigating the aforementioned species in the upper portions of Kanaka Creek and Greater Vancouver Regional District’s (GVRD) Kanaka Creek Regional Park contributes significantly to the wildlife values of the area. Information garnered from this survey will provide valuable data to the NC Conservation Data Centre (CDC) and Ministry of Environment (MOE) for the management of threatened species. In Canada the Pacific Water Shrew (PWS), also known as the Marsh Shrew, is restricted to the southwestern corner of BC (Fraser Lowland Ecosection) (Figure 1). As a riparian specialist PWS home ranges tend to be linear with reported captures indicating a selection for habitat within 100m of the nearest watercourse (Churchfield 1990; Craig and Vennesland 2005). The PWS represents the largest shrew in the genus Sorex with a total length averaging 15.4cm, 7cm being tail (Nagorsen 1996). The fur is black to dark brown dorsally and dark brown ventrally, and to aid in swimming the feet feature a fringe of stiff hairs (Nagorsen