Guidelines for Mitigation Translocations of Amphibians: Applications for Canada’s Prairie Provinces Acknowledgments This document was prepared with input from the working group which included: Ed Beveridge (Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment), Karyn Scalise (Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment), Sue McAdam (Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment), Ben Sawa (Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment), Carolyn Gaudet (Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre), Jessus Karst (Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre), Jeff Keith (Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre), Chris Friesen (Manitoba Conservation Data Centre), Lisa Wilkinson (Alberta Environment and Parks), Cynthia Paszkowski (University of Alberta), and Andrew Didiuk (Environment Canada – Canadian Wildlife Service). We would like to especially acknowledge Kris Kendell (Alberta Conservation Association) who contributed a significant amount of time and expertise to this document. Additional technical advice and expertise was provided by Brian Eaton (Alberta Innovates – Technology Futures), Trent Bollinger (Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative), Danna Schock (Keyano College), Corie White (Water Security Agency), Matthew Korhonen (Calgary Zoo Animal Care Curator), Colleen Baird (Calgary Zoo Animal Care Curator), Ariadne Angulo (Co-Chair, IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group), Richard Griffiths (Director of Durrell Institute for Conservation and Ecology), and numerous environmental consultants. Funding was provided by the Calgary Zoo, Husky Energy, and other contributors. Disclaimer This document intends to provide general information about beneficial management practices and amphibian translocation standards. The information within comes from a variety of sources, and will be updated as we gain a greater understanding of the risks and benefits of amphibian mitigation translocations, and as improved methods develop. We welcome feedback on the document to make ongoing improvements. Please send comments or suggestions to [email protected]. It remains the responsibility of the reader to follow all applicable laws and regulations, and to adhere to the permit conditions of the relevant jurisdictions. Suggested Citation Randall, L., N. Lloyd, and A. Moehrenschlager. 2018. Guidelines for Mitigation Translocations of Amphibians: Applications for Canada’s Prairie Provinces. Version 1.0. Centre for Conservation Research, Calgary Zoological Society. Calgary, Alberta, Canada. 94 pp. 1 Executive Summary Expanding human development (e.g., resource extraction, renewable energy projects, agriculture, and urbanization) can result in alteration or loss of habitat for wildlife, including amphibians. Amphibians are sensitive to disturbances from human activity due to their complex life cycles, sensitivity to environmental contaminants, limited capability to move long distances or across barriers, and varying seasonal habitat requirements. Activities such as building or maintaining roads, culverts or bridges, excavating, draining waterbodies, prescribed burning, harvesting timber, or growing crops and raising livestock, can result in physical injury or death of amphibians, or may negatively influence their development or reproduction. Effects of these activities on amphibians and their populations can also be indirect, reducing habitat quality or connectivity, and preventing individuals from moving between habitats or populations. Mitigation translocation involves moving amphibians that would otherwise be destroyed or negatively affected by project activities to an alternate release site. Use of translocation as a mitigation measure to reduce impacts on amphibians from expanding human development is increasing, but it is not without risk—the practice can result in injury, death, stress and exposure to pathogens for the translocated animals or animals at the release site. Once released, amphibians may disperse from the release site, return to the project area, or may face increased competition, predation, or genetic incompatibility with naturally occurring conspecific or sympatric species at the site. Released amphibians may die if the habitat at the release site is unsuitable or disconnected from other required habitats. For these reasons, translocations should only occur when all other alternatives to avoid and minimize project impacts on amphibians are exhausted and if risks to individuals and populations are suitably addressed. Beneficial management practices (BMPs), are practices, methods, or techniques that consistently shows results superior to those achieved by other means. In many cases, adhering to BMPs or using proactive measures such as installing barrier fencing, or temporary holding and release, can eliminate the need for mitigation translocations. If these measures alone are insufficient, we encourage the use of mitigation translocations—if appropriate planning is conducted, release activities minimize risks for amphibians and other species, and monitoring is sufficient to determine translocation effectiveness. This document is the first to outline BMPs, standards, and protocols for mitigation translocation of amphibians within Canada’s Prairie Provinces. As we are unaware of such guidelines for most global jurisdictions, general considerations within these guidelines may also serve as a useful resource for other regions in Canada, or beyond. 2 Table of Contents Definition of Terms 6 1 Introduction and Scope 8 2 Stages of Mitigation Translocation 9 STAGE 1: Amphibian Detection Surveys 9 STAGE 2: Translocation Avoidance 9 STAGE 3: Identify Translocation Risks and Potential Release Sites 9 STAGE 4: Translocation Decision 9 STAGE 5: Translocation Planning 9 STAGE 6: Translocation Implementation 10 STAGE 7: Post-Release Monitoring and Reporting 10 3 Amphibian Detection Surveys 11 3.1 Provincial Survey Guidelines and Protocols ............................................................... 11 4 Translocation Avoidance and Beneficial Management Practices 12 4.1 Timing and Location of Project Activities .................................................................. 12 4.1.1 High Amphibian Activity 12 4.1.2 Low Amphibian Activity 12 4.2 Maintain Healthy Riparian Zones .............................................................................. 13 4.3 Observe Setback Distances ....................................................................................... 13 4.4 Avoid Additional Disturbances ................................................................................. 14 4.5 Avoid Transporting Invasive Species or Transmitting Disease .................................... 14 4.6 Avoid Creating Habitat Attractive to Amphibians ...................................................... 15 4.7 Avoid creating barriers to amphibian movement ...................................................... 15 4.8 Wetland Creation ..................................................................................................... 16 4.9 Potential Project Impacts and Beneficial Management Practices ............................... 17 4.9.1 Roads 17 4.9.2 Culverts or Bridges 19 4.9.3 Excavations and Trenches 20 4.9.4 Holding Ponds and Other Constructed Waterbodies 22 4.9.5 Waterbody Drainage 23 4.9.6 Agriculture 24 4.9.7 Timber Harvest 26 4.9.8 Prescribed Burning 28 4.9.9 Resource Extraction, Renewable Energy, and Other Projects 29 4.10 Holding and Release ................................................................................................. 31 5 Mitigation Translocation Risks and Challenges 32 5.1 Risks to Individuals .................................................................................................. 32 5.2 Risks to Populations ................................................................................................. 34 5.3 Low Success Rates .................................................................................................... 35 6 Select Potential Release Sites 36 6.1 Location of release sites ........................................................................................... 36 6.2 Food Sources ........................................................................................................... 36 6.3 Waterbody Complexes ............................................................................................. 37 6.4 Other considerations ............................................................................................... 37 6.4.1 Occupied vs. Unoccupied sites 38 3 7 Mitigation Translocation Decision 40 8 Mitigation Translocation Plan 41 8.1 Translocation Considerations ................................................................................... 41 8.1.1 Timing of Translocation and Amphibian Life Stage 41 8.1.2 Preventing Return to the Project Area 42 8.2 Permits, Permissions and Approvals ......................................................................... 43 9 Mitigation Translocation Procedures 44 9.1 Preventing Disease Transmission .............................................................................. 44 9.2 Capture ................................................................................................................... 46 9.2.1 Nets and Hand Collection 47 9.2.2 Traps 48 9.2.3 Drift Fences 48 9.2.4 Stopping point 48 9.3 Handling and Hygiene .............................................................................................. 49 9.4 Containment and Transportation ............................................................................. 50 9.5 Release ...................................................................................................................