MANITOBA – MINNESOTA TRANSMISSION PROJECT Environmental Impact Statement CHAPTER 16 ASSESSMENT OF SEPTEMBER 2015 POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON LAND AND RESOURCE USE MANITOBA – MINNESOTA TRANSMISSION PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 16: ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON LAND AND RESOURCE USE TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 16 ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON LAND AND RESOURCE USE ............................................................. 16-1 16.1 Introduction ................................................................................ 16-1 16.1.1 Regulatory and Policy Setting ............................................................ 16-2 16.1.1.1 Primary Regulatory Guidance ............................................ 16-2 16.1.1.2 Additional Federal Guidance .............................................. 16-3 16.1.1.3 Additional Provincial Guidance........................................... 16-3 16.1.1.4 Additional Municipal Guidance ........................................... 16-6 16.1.1.5 Manitoba Hydro Corporate Policies and Programs ........... 16-7 16.1.2 Engagement and Key Concerns ........................................................ 16-7 16.1.2.1 The First Nation and Metis Engagement Process ............. 16-7 16.1.2.2 Public Engagement ............................................................. 16-8 16.1.2.3 Engagement with Provincial Government ........................ 16-10 16.1.2.4 Summary ........................................................................... 16-10 16.2 Scope of Assessment .............................................................. 16-10 16.2.1 Spatial Boundaries............................................................................ 16-10 16.2.2 Temporal Boundaries ....................................................................... 16-11 16.2.3 Administrative Boundaries ................................................................ 16-11 16.2.4 Learnings from Past Assessments .................................................. 16-12 16.3 Methods ................................................................................... 16-13 16.3.1 Existing Conditions Methods ............................................................ 16-13 16.3.1.1 Sources of Information ..................................................... 16-14 16.3.1.2 Desktop and GIS Analysis ................................................ 16-15 16.3.1.3 Key Person Interviews ...................................................... 16-16 16.3.1.4 Field Studies ..................................................................... 16-17 16.3.1.5 Addressing Uncertainty .................................................... 16-17 16.3.2 Assessment Methods ....................................................................... 16-18 September 2015 16-i MANITOBA – MINNESOTA TRANSMISSION PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 16: ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON LAND AND RESOURCE USE TABLE OF CONTENTS 16.3.2.1 Assessment Approach ...................................................... 16-18 16.3.2.2 Potential Environmental Effects, Effect Pathways and Measurable Parameters ................................................... 16-23 16.3.2.3 Residual Environmental Effects Description Criteria ....... 16-29 16.3.2.4 Significance Threshold for Residual Environmental Effects ............................................................................... 16-31 16.4 Existing Conditions for Land and Resource Use ...................... 16-31 16.4.1 Overview ........................................................................................... 16-32 16.4.1.1 Socio-economic Context of Land and Resource Uses .... 16-33 16.4.2 Land Ownership Patterns ................................................................. 16-35 16.4.2.1 Crown and Public Lands ................................................... 16-36 16.4.3 Residential Development ................................................................. 16-38 16.4.4 Hutterite Colonies, Agro-Industrial Developments, and Business Parks ................................................................................................. 16-41 16.4.4.1 Hutterite Colonies ............................................................. 16-41 16.4.4.2 Agro-industrial developments ........................................... 16-41 16.4.4.3 Industrial Parks ................................................................. 16-41 16.4.5 Development and Zoning Controls .................................................. 16-42 16.4.6 Designated Lands and Protected Areas .......................................... 16-44 16.4.6.1 Provincial Parks and Provincial Forests........................... 16-45 16.4.6.2 Wildlife Management Areas, Ecological Reserves and Areas of Special Interest .................................................. 16-45 16.4.7 Recreational Areas/Tourism Activities ............................................. 16-46 16.4.7.1 Recreation Trails ............................................................... 16-47 16.4.7.2 Campgrounds and Golf Courses ...................................... 16-47 16.4.7.3 Boating and Fishing .......................................................... 16-48 16.4.7.4 Wildlife Viewing and Private Wildlife Lands ..................... 16-49 16.4.7.5 Winter Recreation ............................................................. 16-49 16.4.8 Resource Use ................................................................................... 16-50 16.4.8.1 Trapping, Hunting, and Fishing ........................................ 16-50 16.4.8.2 Productive Forestland and High Value Forest Sites ........ 16-54 16.4.8.3 Groundwater and Surface Water Use .............................. 16-56 16-ii September 2015 MANITOBA – MINNESOTA TRANSMISSION PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 16: ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON LAND AND RESOURCE USE TABLE OF CONTENTS 16.4.9 Summary of Existing Conditions ...................................................... 16-61 16.5 Assessment of Project Environmental Effects on Land and Resource Use .......................................................................... 16-62 16.5.1 Project Interactions with Land and Resource Use .......................... 16-62 16.5.2 Assessment of Change in Property ................................................. 16-64 16.5.2.1 Private Property Values .................................................... 16-66 16.5.2.2 Pathways for Change in Property .................................... 16-67 16.5.2.3 Mitigation for Change in Property ..................................... 16-69 16.5.2.4 Characterization of Residual Environmental Effects for Change in Property ........................................................... 16-70 16.5.2.5 Summary ........................................................................... 16-73 16.5.3 Assessment of Change in Designated Lands, Protected Areas and Recreation.................................................................................. 16-73 16.5.3.1 Pathways for Change in Designated Lands, Protected Areas and Recreation ....................................................... 16-75 16.5.3.2 Mitigation for Change in Designated Lands, Protected Areas and Recreation ....................................................... 16-77 16.5.3.3 Characterization of Residual Environmental Effect for Change in Designated Lands, Protected Areas and Recreation ......................................................................... 16-78 16.5.3.4 Summary ........................................................................... 16-82 16.5.4 Assessment of Change in Hunting and Trapping ............................ 16-82 16.5.4.1 Pathways for Change in Hunting and Trapping ............... 16-83 16.5.4.2 Mitigation for Change in Hunting and Trapping ............... 16-84 16.5.4.3 Characterization of Residual Environmental Effect for Change in Hunting and Trapping ..................................... 16-84 16.5.4.4 Summary ........................................................................... 16-86 16.5.5 Assessment of Change in Mining/Aggregates ................................. 16-86 16.5.5.1 Pathways for Change in Mining/Aggregates.................... 16-87 16.5.5.2 Mitigation for Change in Mining/Aggregates .................... 16-88 16.5.5.3 Characterization of Residual Environmental Effect for Change in Mining/Aggregates .......................................... 16-89 16.5.5.4 Summary ........................................................................... 16-90 16.5.6 Assessment of Change in Forested Areas ...................................... 16-91 September 2015 16-iii MANITOBA – MINNESOTA TRANSMISSION PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 16: ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS ON LAND AND RESOURCE USE TABLE OF CONTENTS 16.5.6.1 Pathways for Change in Forested Areas ......................... 16-91 16.5.6.2 Mitigation for Change in Forested Areas ......................... 16-92 16.5.6.3 Characterization of Residual Environmental Effect for Change in Forested Areas ............................................... 16-94 16.5.6.4 Summary ........................................................................... 16-96 16.5.7 Assessment of Change in Groundwater Use .................................. 16-96 16.5.7.1 Pathways for Change in Groundwater Use ..................... 16-96 16.5.7.2 Mitigation for Change in Groundwater Use .....................