KITSAULT MINE PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT APPENDICES APPENDIX 13.0-A Kitsault Project Nisga’a Rights, Interests, and Values Report – Baseline Appendix VE51988 – Appendices KITSAULT MINE PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND NISGA’A RIGHTS, INTERESTS, AND VALUES TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS ........................................................................... I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................ II 1.0 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Regulatory Requirements ............................................................................................. 3 1.3 Objectives ..................................................................................................................... 4 2.0 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Methods ........................................................................................................................ 4 2.2 Study Area .................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 5 3.0 RESEARCH RESULTS AND FINDINGS ................................................................................. 6 3.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................... 6 3.2 Nisga’a Final Agreement .............................................................................................. 6 3.2.1 Lands ............................................................................................................... 6 3.2.2 Forest Resources ............................................................................................ 8 3.2.3 Access, Roads and Rights of Way .................................................................. 9 3.2.4 Fisheries ........................................................................................................ 10 3.2.4.1 Overview ..................................................................................... 10 3.2.4.2 Salmon Species .......................................................................... 10 3.2.4.3 Steelhead .................................................................................... 11 3.2.4.4 Non-Salmon Species .................................................................. 11 3.2.4.5 Intertidal Bivalves ........................................................................ 12 3.2.4.6 Angling Guide Rivers .................................................................. 12 3.2.4.7 Nisga’a Fisheries Management ................................................... 12 3.2.4.8 Lisims Fisheries Conservation Trust ........................................... 13 3.2.5 Wildlife and Migratory Birds ........................................................................... 14 3.2.6 Cultural Artefacts and Heritage ..................................................................... 16 3.3 Seasonal Round and Resource Importance .............................................................. 17 3.4 Contemporary Land Use ............................................................................................ 18 3.4.1 Hunting .......................................................................................................... 18 3.4.2 Fishing ........................................................................................................... 20 3.4.3 Timber and Non-Timber Forest Products ...................................................... 24 3.4.4 Timber Products ............................................................................................ 24 3.4.5 Non-Timber Forest Products ......................................................................... 25 3.4.6 Recreation ..................................................................................................... 27 3.4.7 Heritage ......................................................................................................... 27 3.4.8 Fee Simple Lands .......................................................................................... 28 3.5 Contemporary Marine Use ......................................................................................... 28 3.6 Tourism ....................................................................................................................... 29 3.7 Land and Resource Use Planning .............................................................................. 30 3.7.1 Overview ........................................................................................................ 30 3.7.2 Fish ................................................................................................................ 30 3.7.3 Wildlife ........................................................................................................... 30 3.7.4 Heritage ......................................................................................................... 31 3.7.5 Recreation ..................................................................................................... 31 3.7.6 Timber and Non-timber Forest Products ....................................................... 32 3.7.7 Water ............................................................................................................. 34 3.8 Summary .................................................................................................................... 34 Version 1.0 VE51988 – Appendix 13.0-A November 2011 TOC i KITSAULT MINE PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND NISGA’A RIGHTS, INTERESTS, AND VALUES REFERENCES ...................................................................................................................................... 35 List of Figures Figure 1.1-1: Nisga’a Rights and Interests Relative to the Proposed Kitsault Project ....................... 2 Figure 3.4-1: Map of Compulsory Inspection of Moose ................................................................... 19 Figure 3.4-2: Summary of Timber and Botanical Forest Products Harvest and Revenue (2000-2008) ................................................................................................................. 26 List of Tables Table 1.1-1: Summary of Nisga’a Rights and Interests Related to the Kitsault Mine Site and Access Road .......................................................................................................... ii Table 3.2-1: Volumes for Nisga’a Water Reservation ....................................................................... 8 Table 3.2-2: Summary of Nisga’a Salmon Entitlement per Species for the Nass Area .................. 11 Table 3.2-3: Summary of Nisga’a Steelhead Allocation .................................................................. 11 Table 3.2-4: Summary of Lisims Fisheries Conservation Trust Net Assets and Disbursements (2000-2008) ................................................................................................................. 14 Table 3.2-5: Nisga’a Wildlife Allocations of Designated Species .................................................... 15 Table 3.3-1: Summary of Nisga’a Seasonal Round ........................................................................ 17 Table 3.4-1: Summary of Population, Nisga’a Allocations, and Harvest of Designated Species ....................................................................................................................... 20 Table 3.4-2: Nisga’a Entitlements and Nisga’a Harvest of Salmon and Steelhead Species (2000-2010) ................................................................................................................. 22 Table 3.4-3: The Number of Sales Permits and Associated Openings........................................... 24 Table 3.7-1: Summary of Objectives and Policies related to Nisga’a Forest and Agricultural Resources ................................................................................................................... 32 Version 1.0 VE51988 – Appendix 13.0-A November 2011 TOC ii KITSAULT MINE PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL BACKGROUND NISGA’A RIGHTS, INTERESTS, AND VALUES ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS Abbreviation Definition BC EAA BC Environmental Assessment Act BC EAO BC Environmental Assessment Office CEAA Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency CFIA Canadian Food Inspection Agency DFO Department of Fisheries and Ocean EA Environmental Assessment ESCIA Environmental, Social, and Cultural Impact Assessment JFMC Joint Fisheries Management Committee MoE Ministry of Environment MNRO Ministry of Natural Resource Operations MSC Marine Stewardship Council NCG Nisga’a Commercial Group NFA Nisga’a Final Agreement NGO Non-government Organization NLG Nisga’a Lisims Government NLUP Nisga’a Land Use Plan NTFP Non-timber Forest Product NTL Northwest Transmission Line NWA Nass Wildlife Area Project Proposed Kitsault Project PSP Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning SMA Special Management Area TAH Total Annual Harvest TFL Tree Farm License VC Valued Component