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Report Advisian Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure Alternate Haul Road Terrestrial Baseline Report 03 May 2017 4321 Still Creek Drive Burnaby BC V5C 6S7 Canada Document No.: 307071-01148-01-EN-REP-0004 www.advisian.com Government of Nunavut Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure Alternate Haul Road Terrestrial Baseline Report Table of Contents Abbreviations .................................................................................................................................................................................................iv 1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Study Overview and Area......................................................................................................................................... 1 2 Methods ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 3 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................................................................................... 5 3.1 Physical Setting ............................................................................................................................................................ 5 3.1.1 Surface and Bedrock Geology ............................................................................................................... 5 3.1.2 Topography .................................................................................................................................................. 5 3.1.3 Surface Features .......................................................................................................................................... 5 3.1.4 Evidence of Ground Stability ................................................................................................................. 6 3.1.5 Permafrost ..................................................................................................................................................... 6 3.2 Freshwater Fish ............................................................................................................................................................ 6 3.2.1 Arctic Char ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 3.2.2 Freshwater Fish Summary ....................................................................................................................... 7 3.2.3 Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit ........................................................................................................................... 8 3.3 Vegetation ..................................................................................................................................................................... 8 3.3.1 Ecological Land Classification ................................................................................................................ 8 3.3.2 Rare Plants (Species at Risk) ................................................................................................................. 12 3.3.3 Inuit Qaujimajatugangit ......................................................................................................................... 13 3.4 Terrestrial Wildlife and Migratory Birds ........................................................................................................... 13 3.4.1 Terrestrial Wildlife .................................................................................................................................... 13 3.4.2 Migratory Birds .......................................................................................................................................... 15 3.4.3 Species at Risk ........................................................................................................................................... 18 3.4.4 Inuit Qaujimajatugangit ......................................................................................................................... 18 4 References ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 307071-01148-01-EN-REP-0004_R0.docx Advisian ii Government of Nunavut Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure Alternate Haul Road Terrestrial Baseline Report Figure List Figure 1-1 Haul Road Study Area ............................................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 3-1 Vegetation Survey Location and Mapping ..................................................................................................... 10 Table List Table 3-1 Terrestrial Wildlife that have Potential to Occur in the Study Area ...................................................... 14 Table 3-2 Birds with Potential to Breed in the Study Area ........................................................................................... 16 Appendix List Appendix 1 Photos 307071-01148-01-EN-REP-0004_R0.docx Advisian iii Government of Nunavut Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure Alternate Haul Road Terrestrial Baseline Report Abbreviations Term Definition ~ Approximately COSEWIC Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada DFO Fisheries and Oceans Canada DIS Disturbed (for Vegetation) EBSA Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Area ECCC Environment and Climate Change Canada ELC Ecological Land Classification Survey FAA Fisheries Act Authorization GN Government of Nunavut HTO Hunters and Trappers Organization IQ Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit LGR Lowland General (for Vegetation) MAAT Mean Annual Air Temperature NIRB Nunavut Impact Review Board NLCA Nunavut Land Claims Agreement NPA Navigation Protection Act NPC Nunavut Planning Commission NWHS Nunavut Wildlife Harvest Study NWMB Nunavut Wildlife Management Board SCH Small Craft Harbour The Project Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure Project UBD Upland Bedrock Outcrops UDS Upland Dwarf Shrub UDS-2 Upland Dwarf Shrub – Variant 2 ULD Upland General WGD Wetland Graminoid Drainage WHU Wetland Hummocky 307071-01148-01-EN-REP-0004_R0.docx Advisian iv Government of Nunavut Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure Alternate Haul Road Terrestrial Baseline Report Term Definition WOW Wetland Open Water WR Wetland Ravine WSH Wetland Shrubby 307071-01148-01-EN-REP-0004_R0.docx Advisian v Government of Nunavut Pond Inlet Marine Infrastructure Alternate Haul Road Terrestrial Baseline Report 1 Introduction The Government of Nunavut (GN) through the Department of Economic Development and Transportation proposes to construct a new Small Craft Harbour (SCH or the Project) in the Hamlet of Pond Inlet (the Hamlet) to increase public access for hunters, fishers and residents and improve the reliability and safety of commercial shipping activities. Figure 1-1 shows the geographical boundaries for the Project. A new quarry is planned to provide rock fill for the construction of the SCH. Advisian (WorleyParsons Group) was retained by the GN to complete environmental baseline studies for the Project to support a Nunavut Land Claims Agreement (Nunavut Agreement, NA) Article 12 Screening by Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) and other environmental permitting. In late summer 2016, Advisian conducted a series of field surveys to support the baseline studies. A Terrestrial and Human Environment Baseline report has been prepared for the Project (Advisian, 2017). That report details the baseline conditions at the proposed SCH and quarry. However during public consultation in February 2017, concerns were raised regarding the use of existing roads to transport rock fill from the quarry to the SCH and therefore an alternate haul route, the majority of which would be a new road, is being considered. As such, this report was prepared to supplement the Terrestrial and Human Environment Baseline Report (Advisian, 2017) and describes the baseline conditions of the proposed alternate haul road. 1.1 Study Overview and Area This report presents the methods, and findings of the terrestrial baseline study, undertaken to support Project planning as well as future permitting and approval requirements of the Project. The following disciplines are discussed: . Physical Setting . Vegetation . Wildlife and Migratory Birds . Freshwater Fish Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) specific to the Study Area and not already discussed within the Terrestrial and Human Environmental Baseline Report for the SCH and quarry (Advisian, 2017) is also captured within this report. An exact route for the alternate haul road had not been determined at the time of this baseline report, thus a Study Area (Study Area), covering a corridor between the quarry and the SCH, has been defined (Figure 1-1). Existing disturbance resulting from aggregate extraction and roads occurs in portions of the Study Area. These areas are currently used as all-terrain vehicle routes by Hamlet residents. 307071-01148-01-EN-REP-0004_R0.docx Advisian 1 399500 400000 400500 401000 401500 402000 402500 403000 403500 404000 404500 405000 405500 ECLIPSE SOUND 8069500 POND INLET 72°42'0"N 8069000 8068500 72°41'30"N 8068000 Northern Creek 8067500 72°41'0"N 8067000
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