PDF Page 1 of 29 APPENDIX F TERA Vegetation Survey Results Summary PDF Page 2 of 29 VEGETATION SUMMARY REPORT FOR THE PROPOSED NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD. NORTH MONTNEY MAINLINE (AITKEN CREEK SECTION) March 2013 8860 Prepared for: Prepared by: NOVA Gas transmission Ltd. A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of TransCanada PipeLines Limited TERA Environmental Consultants Calgary, Alberta Suite 1100, 815 - 8th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 3P2 Ph: 403-265-2885 PDF Page 3 of 29 NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. Vegetation Summary Report North Montney Mainline (Aitken Creek Section) March 2013/8860 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Project Details ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Ecosystem Classification .................................................................................................... 3 2.0 METHODS ....................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Study Area Boundaries ....................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Desktop Review .................................................................................................................. 4 2.3 Field Data Collection ........................................................................................................... 4 2.3.1 Rare Plants and Rare Ecological Communities ..................................................... 4 2.3.2 Non-Native and Invasive Species .......................................................................... 5 2.4 Collection of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) ........................................................ 5 3.0 RESULTS OF THE LITERATURE / DESKTOP REVIEW ............................................................... 6 3.1 Vegetation Community Delineation ..................................................................................... 6 3.2 Non-Native and Invasive Species ....................................................................................... 6 3.3 Old-Growth Management Areas ......................................................................................... 6 4.0 RESULTS OF THE VEGETATION SURVEY .................................................................................. 7 4.1 Vegetation Communities ..................................................................................................... 7 4.2 Rare Plants ......................................................................................................................... 7 4.3 Rare Ecological Communities ............................................................................................. 9 4.4 Non-Native and Invasive Species ....................................................................................... 9 4.5 Survey Limitations ............................................................................................................... 9 5.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................... 10 5.1 Literature Cited .................................................................................................................. 10 5.2 GIS References ................................................................................................................. 11 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A Observed Plant Species – by Type and Common Name ................................................A-1 Appendix B Photoplates ......................................................................................................................B-1 Appendix C Vegetation Survey Locations and Observed Habitats .................................................... C-1 Appendix D Rare Plant Observation Data .......................................................................................... D-1 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Regional Location and Old-Growth Management Areas .................................................... 2 Figure 2 Vegetation Survey Locations - 2011 ................................................................................... 8 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Summary of Vegetation Field Work and Aboriginal Field Study Participation for the Project ...................................................................................................................... 5 Table 2 Vegetation Site Units Observed .......................................................................................... 7 Table 3 2011 Rare Plant Observations ............................................................................................ 9 Page i PDF Page 4 of 29 NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. Vegetation Summary Report North Montney Mainline (Aitken Creek Section) March 2013/8860 LIST OF PLATES Plate 1 View of moist mixedwood forest located in 94-B-8/Block A (August 12, 2011). ................. 2 Plate 2 View west of a bog habitat observed in 94-B-8/Block I (August 17, 2011). ........................ 2 Plate 3 View south of a swamp habitat observed in 94-B-8/Block A (August 13, 2011). ............................................................................................................... 3 Plate 4 View south of a riparian area observed in 94-B-8/Block H (August 16, 2011). .................. 3 Plate 5 View of potential Iowa golden-saxifrage observed in 94-B-8/Block H (August 16, 2011). ............................................................................................................... 4 Plate 6 View of northern bog bedstraw observed in 94-B-8/Block I (August 13, 2011). ................. 4 Plate 7 View of peat moss (Sphagnum wulfianum) observed in 94-B-8/Block H (August 14, 2011). ............................................................................................................... 5 Page ii PDF Page 5 of 29 NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. Vegetation Summary Report North Montney Mainline (Aitken Creek Section) March 2013/8860 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Details NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL), a wholly owned subsidiary of TransCanada PipeLines Limited, is applying to the National Energy Board (NEB) under Section 52 of the NEB Act for authorisation to construct and operate new pipeline facilities (the Project) in the North Montney area of British Columbia (BC). These facilities will be known as the North Montney Mainline (Aitken Creek and Kahta Sections). The preliminary scope of the Project includes approximately 305 km of up to 1,219 mm (NPS 48) outside diameter (O.D.) pipe and related facilities to provide adequate capacity to transport natural gas supply in the northeast BC area. The results of this report are limited to the Aitken Creek Section. To support the NEB Section 52 Application, TERA Environmental Consultants (TERA) was commissioned by NGTL to conduct vegetation field work along the proposed Project. This report describes the results of vegetation field work conducted for the Project during August 11 to 21, 2011. Vegetation field work was conducted on various pipeline route options in August 2011. Figure 1 shows the current 2013 Aitken Creek Route and all pipeline route options that have been considered, including pipeline routes that were surveyed in the field in 2011. This report summarises the results of the vegetation surveys for pipeline routes where field work was conducted in spring 2011. Figure 2 provides greater detail on the locations where field work was conducted. Page 1 PDF Page 6 of 29 r e v i R n o t ¯ t a e B 94G2 94G1 94H4 94H3 94H2 Pink Mountain Aitken Creek ST97 T Receipt Meter Station o w !." KP 180.9 n A s i e G t k n e u n d n d C C re e k r e y e k 94A15 94B15 94B16 C 94A13 94A14 r e e k !. C KP 160 a m e Buick r o n Beaton River R Wonowon i I.R. 204 v e r 94A11 94A10 KP 140 94A12 !. r Blueberry! ! River! i v e ! B l u r y R I.R. 205 e b e r ! ! 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