Terasen Pipelines (Trans Mountain) Inc. •••DRAFT••• Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat TMX - Anchor Loop Project November 2005 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The TERA/Westland staff and subconsultants responsible for the TMX - Anchor Loop Project Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Program gratefully acknowledge the assistance and cooperation of Parks Canada and BC Parks management. Specifically we want to thank the following field and administrative staff: Jasper National Park Environment Canada • Thea Mitchell • Dale Kirkland • Wes Bradford • Paul Gregoire • Geoff Skinner • Andrew Robinson • Ward Hughson • Deanne Newkirk • Mark Bradley • Kim Forster BC Ministry of Environment • Anne Forshner • Chris Ritchie • Brenda Shepherd • Ted Zimmerman • Jesse Whittington Alberta Sustainable Resource Development BC Parks • Gordon Stenhouse • Rick Rockwell • Margo Pybus • Wayne Van Velzen • Jeff Kneteman • Hugo Mulyk • Rhonda Thibeault • Donna Thornton The help and support of Simpcw First Nation field assistants Sidney Jules, Steve Jules and Colin Eustache is also acknowledged. The Simpcw field personnel enthusiastically participated in all phases of the wildlife program. We thank them for their hard work and interest in this program. Several environmental nongovernment organizations took an active role in the identification of wildlife Valued Ecosystem Components and other aspects of program planning. We appreciate their guidance and cooperation throughout the course of the wildlife program work. Terasen Pipelines (Trans Mountain) Inc. •••DRAFT••• Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat TMX - Anchor Loop Project November 2005 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The TMX - Anchor Loop Project proposed by Terasen Pipelines (Trans Mountain) Inc. involves the construction of 158 km of 812 mm or 914 mm (32-inch or 36-inch) diameter oil pipeline loop from a location west of Hinton, Alberta, across Jasper National Park (JNP) to a location immediately west of Mount Robson Provincial Park (MRPP), near Rearguard, British Columbia (BC). A wildlife and wildlife habitat program was conducted by TERA/Westland, environmental consultants to Terasen Pipelines, between January 2004 and September 2005. The primary goal of this program was to document the wildlife and wildlife habitat resources of both the Proposed Route and the Existing Trans Mountain Pipeline Route (Existing Route). The data were used for route comparison, impact assessment and mitigation planning. Wildlife and wildlife habitat information is presented for the Alberta and JNP, and MRPP and BC segments. The spatial boundaries for the project were: • Project Footprint - The land area to be disturbed by construction and clearing activities; • Local Study Area - A 2 km wide area (1 km on either side of the pipeline route) within the montane ecoregion; • Regional Study Area - A large (9,319 km2) area covered by ten 1:50,000 scale NTS Maps contained within the Greater Yellowhead Ecosystem; and • International or Continental Study Area - A very large study area extending from Yellowstone to the Yukon. A Valued Ecosystem Component (VEC) approach was used for the Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Program. A total of eight wildlife habitat types, two invertebrate, three amphibian, one reptile, eight bird groups and four mammal species groups were selected as VECs for this project. All wildlife and habitat field work was done under the appropriate research permits and approvals from provincial agencies and Parks Canada. This study focused on the following topics: • habitat requirements of wildlife VECs; • location of habitats with high suitability for wildlife and key habitat features; • abundance of species or habitat VECs; • population status and trends; • life cycle requirements; • seasonal ranges; • movements and wildlife corridors; • sensitive periods; and • wildlife mortality. The field program was specifically developed to be non-invasive and respectful of the protected area status of the lands within JNP and MRPP crossed by the Proposed and Existing Routes. In addition, the timing of Project fieldwork was planned to coincide with key life cycle stages and optimal survey conditions for wildlife and wildlife habitat. Page i Terasen Pipelines (Trans Mountain) Inc. •••DRAFT••• Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat TMX - Anchor Loop Project November 2005 The JNP (Parks Canada) Ecological Land Classification (ELC) was adopted for use for the Project. This ELC was cross-walked with biophysical mapping done for MRPP to create a single consistent ELC for project planning and assessment. A total of 653 sample sites (387 in Alberta and JNP and 266 in MRPP and BC) were documented by 22 biologists and field assistants, representing a total of 491 person-days in the field. Data collection was done to augment and update the considerable body of existing information on: • Wildlife Habitat • Owls • Invertebrates • Woodpeckers • Amphibians • Breeding birds • Migratory birds • Winter wildlife (mammal) use A total of 8 wildlife habitat VECs, representing 29 ecosites, are crossed by the Proposed and Existing Routes. They are: • Wetlands, Shrub and Riparian Forest Habitat • Floodplain Spruce Forest Habitat • Douglas-fir and White Spruce Forest Habitat • Aspen and Balsam Poplar Forest Habitat • Grassland and Dry Slope Habitat • Cedar and Hemlock Forest Habitat • Pine Forest Habitat • Cedar-Mixedwood Forest Habitat The wildlife VECs of the Project area are world renown and are symbols of the Canadian wilderness. Wildlife and habitats of the Project area are protected within JNP and MRPP. However, human-wildlife conflicts, habitat alterations and losses, as well as the direct, indirect and cumulative effects of settlements, transportation corridors, recreational developments, commercial developments and utility corridors within the parks have, and continue to, alter habitat suitability, species distribution and wildlife populations in the Greater Yellowhead Ecosystem. The maintenance and restoration of ecological integrity are key elements in the management plans of both JNP and MRPP. The main threats to ecological integrity in the Regional Study Area from a wildlife perspective include: • wildlife mortality along road, highway and railway corridors; • loss of important seral habitats due to forest fire suppression and aging/expanding forest habitats; • invasive (non-native) plant and animals reducing habitat values and displacing native species; • habitat fragmentation caused by transportation corridors and other developments that block wildlife movements and change wildlife distribution patterns; • anthropogenic habitat loss or alteration; and • forest health issues (e.g., spread of mountain pine beetle). A total of 23 wildlife species and species groups with ecological, economic and human importance are known to occur in the Project area. Key findings of the TMX - Anchor Loop Project Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Program include: • The Project is located in the montane ecoregion. This ecoregion is prime wildlife habitat. However, habitat quality of the montane has been reduced by past anthropogenic disturbances resulting in habitat loss, alterations and fragmentation. Page ii Terasen Pipelines (Trans Mountain) Inc. •••DRAFT••• Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat TMX - Anchor Loop Project November 2005 • Both the Proposed and Existing Routes cross several wildlife movement corridors. • Wetlands, Shrub and Riparian Forest Habitat type and other valley bottom habitats are the most important habitat types crossed by the Project. These habitats are used year-round by wildlife and are important habitats for wintering ungulates and carnivores. • Wildlife mortality on highways and the railway continue to have a major impact on ungulate and carnivore populations of the Project area. • The Proposed Route is considered to be more favourable than the Existing Route from a wildlife perspective because the Proposed Route avoids approximately 11.6 km of high value Wetland, Shrub and Riparian Forest Habitat compared to the Existing Route. • Approximately 18.4 km more clearing of second growth and mature forest (pine, aspen, balsam poplar, Douglas-fir and white spruce) habitats will be required for the construction along the Proposed Route than the Existing Route. • Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (ASRD) and Parks Canada staff prefer winter pipeline construction in JNP/Alberta. However, special mitigation measures will be necessary to avoid potential Project-induced ungulate and carnivore mortalities along the railway and Highway 16 west of the Jasper townsite (e.g., Miette River valley from the Jasper townsite west to the Continental Divide (KP/KL 375.5 to KL 405.6). • BC Ministry of Environment and BC Parks prefer summer pipeline construction in the MRPP/British Columbia portion of the Project. Construction timing windows are necessary to avoid nesting birds and sensitive seasonal habitats (e.g., moose calving). • The spread of invasive plant species is a threat to biodiversity and wildlife habitat quality along both routes. These species can be spread through ground-disturbing activities. • A total of four species are listed by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) occur in the Regional Study Area. These include: 1. woodland caribou (Threatened), 2. grizzly bear (Special Concern), 3. wolverine (Special Concern), and 4. western (boreal) toad (Special Concern). • Two new permanent facilities, the Wolf and Chappel pump stations, will be built as part of the TMX - Anchor Loop Project. These pump stations are outside the Regional Study Area and are located