August 29, 2013 MOOSA CROSSOVER PROJECT Supplemental Vegetation and Wetlands Survey Report Submitted to: NOVA Gas Transmission Limited A Wholly Owned Subsidiary of TransCanada PipeLines Limited 450 - 1st Street SW Calgary, AB T2P 4K5 Report Number: 1213440055/3000/3010 Distribution: REPORT Electronic Copy - TransCanada, Calgary, AB MOOSA CROSSOVER PROJECT - SUPPLEMENTAL VEGETATION AND WETLANDS SURVEY REPORT Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................................... 3 2.0 OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................................................................... 3 3.0 METHODS ........................................................................................................................................................................ 3 3.1 Listed Plant Species Surveys .............................................................................................................................. 4 3.2 Invasive Plant Surveys ........................................................................................................................................ 4 3.3 Vegetation Community Classification .................................................................................................................. 5 3.4 Wetlands Classification........................................................................................................................................ 5 4.0 RESULTS ......................................................................................................................................................................... 5 4.1 Listed Plant Species ............................................................................................................................................ 5 4.1.1 Historical Listed Plant Observations .............................................................................................................. 5 4.1.2 Listed Plant Field Survey Results .................................................................................................................. 5 4.2 Listed Ecological Communities ............................................................................................................................ 7 4.3 Invasive Plant Species......................................................................................................................................... 7 4.4 Vegetation Community Classification .................................................................................................................. 8 4.5 Wetlands Classification........................................................................................................................................ 8 5.0 PROJECT AND VEGETATION INTERACTIONS, MITIGATION AND RESIDUAL EFFECTS ...................................... 10 6.0 IMPLICATIONS TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT....................................................................................... 12 7.0 CLOSURE ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13 8.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................................................ 14 August 29, 2013 Report No. 1213440055/3000/3010 i MOOSA CROSSOVER PROJECT - SUPPLEMENTAL VEGETATION AND WETLANDS SURVEY REPORT TABLES Table 1 Area of Ecological Land Classification (ELC) Units Affected by the Project within the Terrestrial Local Study Area (LSA) ................................................................................................................................................................ 8 Table 2 Area of Wetlands Affected by the Project within the Terrestrial Local Study Area (LSA) .......................................... 9 Table 3 Recommended Mitigation for Listed Plant Species and Ecological Communities Observed Within and Adjacent to the Project Footprint ............................................................................................................................. 11 Table 4 Recommended Mitigation for Regulated Invasive Plant Species Observed Within and Adjacent to the Project Footprint ...................................................................................................................................................... 11 FIGURES Figure 1 Listed Plant and Weed Species Observations in 2012 and 2013 .............................................................................. 6 APPENDICES APPENDIX A Ecological land Classification Units in the Terrestrial LSA and Vegetation Survey Plot Locations August 29, 2013 Report No. 1213440055/3000/3010 ii MOOSA CROSSOVER PROJECT - SUPPLEMENTAL VEGETATION AND WETLANDS SURVEY REPORT 1.0 INTRODUCTION NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL), a wholly owned subsidiary of TransCanada PipeLines Limited (TransCanada), retained Golder Associates Ltd. (Golder) to prepare this Supplemental Vegetation and Wetlands Survey Report to the environmental and socio-economic assessment (ESA) report completed in June 2013. The supplemental report supports NGTLs application under the National Energy Board Act (NEB Act) Section 58 for the Moosa Crossover Project (the Project). The Project is located in northeastern Alberta, approximately 35 km northwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta and 30 km south of Fort McKay. The Project consists of construction of 5 kilometres (km) of 508.0 millimetres (mm) (NPS 20) pipeline from the Fort McKay Mainline – Birchwood Creek Section to the Pelican Mainline. The Project will tie-in to an existing valve at the Moosa Exchange Meter Station at NW 25-91-12 W4M and to the Pelican Mainline at NW 28-91-11 W4M. A below ground NPS 16 shut-down valve will be constructed approximately 150 m west of the eastern tie-in location. The pipeline and shut-down valve site are the only permanent Project infrastructure. Due to the timing of application preparation and submission, appropriately timed surveys of early flowering listed plant species were not completed until after the ESA was filed with the NEB on July 2, 2013. The supplemental surveys were completed in July 2013 for the length of the route alignment to collect information during the appropriate timing window for early flowering listed plant species and confirm the results of the desktop assessment and September 2012 vegetation reconnaissance field survey. This report presents the methods and results of the listed plant species and wetlands surveys conducted, as well as a summary of any changes to potential vegetation and wetlands issues, recommended mitigation and predicted residual effects as described in the ESA filed with the NEB on July 2, 2013 (Golder 2013). 2.0 OBJECTIVES The main objectives of the supplementary vegetation and wetlands surveys were to: search for and document populations of listed plant species and listed ecological communities along the proposed route as defined by the Federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), the committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD), and Alberta Conservation Information Management System (ACIMS); search for and document populations of invasive plant species; identify listed plant species and ecological communities, and confirm and map vegetation communities and wetlands along the route alignment; and provide mitigation recommendations in the event that listed plants, listed ecological communities or invasive plants are observed. 3.0 METHODS Supplementary surveys for listed plant species and ecological communities, vegetation communities and wetlands were undertaken, focused along the Project footprint, on July 3, 2013 during the early-flowering period. Survey areas were accessed by Argo and by foot. For locations of 2012 and 2013 field surveys points, refer to Appendix A, Figure A-1 and A-2. August 29, 2013 Report No. 1213440055/3000/3010 3 MOOSA CROSSOVER PROJECT - SUPPLEMENTAL VEGETATION AND WETLANDS SURVEY REPORT 3.1 Listed Plant Species Surveys Provincial and federal agencies maintain lists of plant species of conservation concern. Provincially, the Alberta Conservation Information Management System (ACIMS) maintains tracking and watch lists of species. Species on the tracking list are of high priority because they are considered rare or of conservation concern in some other way (Kemper 2009). Species on the watch list are not of immediate conservation concern, but ACIMS may want to gather more information. Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) also has a provincial process to evaluate the well-being, or soundness, of wild species populations referred to in General Status of Alberta Wild Species (ESRD 2011). Prior to a species being designated as endangered or threatened under Alberta’s Wildlife Act, the general status of the species is first determined. Status ranks for species are classed to one of the following categories: Extirpated/Extinct, At Risk, May Be At Risk, Sensitive, Secure, Undetermined, Exotic/Alien, Accidental, or Not Assessed. Similarly, COSEWIC assesses and designates plants and fungi (and animals) that are in some danger of disappearing from Canada (COSEWIC 2012). There are seven COSEWIC status categories: