Carmacks-Stewart/Minto Spur Project Proposal Submission Transmission Project September 2006 2.0 PROJECT LOCATION 2.1 INTRODUCTION Chapter 2 provides a general geographical setting for the Project Proposal in terms of its location within the Yukon. It addresses the requirements in Section 3.0, Project Location, of the Proponents Guide to Information Requirements for Executive Committee Project Proposal Submissions (YESAB, 2005) by setting out information regarding geographic location, land tenure, traditional territory of Yukon First Nations, Yukon Land Use Planning Region and consistency with existing plans. It also outlines the broad Project Study Region for the Project Proposal assessment approach as more fully described in Chapter 3, as well as the Route Study Area used in discussions on route selection and alternatives in Chapter 7. The Project Site Area as defined in the Project Proposal is the smaller area generally within the Route Study Area which contains the proposed transmission line ROW (for the preferred route) and substation footprints. The Proponent cannot provide a legal land description of the Project components at this time. As is standard practice with transmission line developments, precise legal land descriptions for the final route generally will only become available after construction is complete and final easements have been agreed upon with the Crown for use of Crown land, any private property owners, and the respective First Nations for use of their settlement lands. Details on the process are outlined in each section below. 2.2 GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION The proposed Carmacks-Stewart/Minto Spur Transmission Project is located in the Yukon interior region. Based on the final route selected as described in Chapter 7, the 138 kV CS transmission line will be approximately 172 km in length, starting at a new substation adjacent to the Carmacks Airport and 138 kV WAF transmission line at the southern end, and terminating at the existing Stewart Crossing substation at the northern end. The 35 kV MS transmission line is approximately 27 km in length, starting at a new substation east of the Klondike Highway in the vicinity of Minto Landing, and terminating at the Minto Mine site. As reviewed in more detail in Chapter 3, the Project Study Region for the Project Proposal is that portion of the Northern Tutchone Planning Region, between Carmacks and Mayo that is generally in close proximity to the Klondike Highway and the existing access road from the Klondike Highway to the Minto Mine Site. This Project Study Region also falls within YESAB’s Central District. A schematic of the Project Study Region is provided in Figure 2.2-1 below. Chapter 2 Page 2-1 Project Location Carmacks-Stewart/Minto Spur Project Proposal Submission Transmission Project September 2006 Figure 2.2-1 Proposed Carmacks-Stewart/Minto Spur Transmission Project Study Region The Project Study Region used in focusing the collection of environmental and socio-economic baseline information found in Chapter 6 lies within the Boreal Cordillera Ecozone, which is generally characterized by rolling hills, uplands and plateaus separated by deep and broad U-shaped valleys. The Project Study Region is also within the Yukon River Major Drainage Area which encompasses approximately 66% of the Chapter 2 Page 2-2 Project Location Carmacks-Stewart/Minto Spur Project Proposal Submission Transmission Project September 2006 Yukon Territory and is its largest drainage area. Details on the drainage basin, topography and ecoregions are found in Chapter 6, Section 6.2.1. The Project Study Region includes the communities of Carmacks, Minto Landing, Pelly Crossing, Stewart Crossing and Mayo which are connected by Klondike Highway # 2 and Silver Trail Highway # 11. As indicated in Chapter 1, Section 1.3, preliminary studies resulted in a 500 metre wide route study area for the CS project route generally located along the Klondike Highway, and including several alternatives. In May 2006, a MOU was concluded between the Proponent and the three NTFNs which outlined support for the CS project, generally located within this 500 metre wide route study area and the MS development generally located along the Minto Mine access road. As reviewed in Chapter 3, the overall Route Study Area as defined on this basis was the focus of the public consultation and route selection process outlined in Chapters 4 and 7 respectively. Upon completion of the route selection process, an approximate 100 metre wide corridor was selected to visually describe through GIS mapping the preferred route location for the CS and MS transmission lines for regulatory review. This corridor is discussed in Section 2.4 below. Within this corridor, the final Project Site Area will be defined after construction is complete and all easements with the Crown, NTFNs and any private property owners are finalized. This Project Site Area will include a 60m ROW for the CS development, a 30 m ROW for the MS development, and any added ROW or land acquired for substation sites. Regarding the associated substations, the Project Proposal defines general proposed locations and approximate footprint sizes in Chapter 5, Project Description. Final precise dimensions and land tenure areas will be known for substations only after final engineering design is complete. 2.3 PROJECT COMPONENTS The Project consists of the following components: • The 138 kV CS transmission line from Carmacks to Stewart Crossing • The 35 kV MS transmission line from the vicinity of Minto Landing to the Minto Mine Site • New substations at Carmacks, Minto Landing, and Pelly Crossing • Expansion of the existing substation north of Stewart Crossing • Step-down transformer and switches at the Minto Mine Site substation Approximate Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinate System (UTM) and Latitude/Longitude coordinates for the Project’s substation components are provided in Table 2.3-1 below: Chapter 2 Page 2-3 Project Location Carmacks-Stewart/Minto Spur Project Proposal Submission Transmission Project September 2006 Table 2.3-1 Project Substation UTM and Latitude/Longitude Coordinates UTM coordinates Latitude Longitude Substation Easting Northing Carmacks 437300 6887800 62°52'30"N 136°11'10"W Minto Landing 405750 6942500 62°35'30"N 136°50'W Minto Mine Site 385300 6945100 62°37'10"N 137°14'40" W Pelly Crossing 419300 6967150 62°47'10"N 136°35'20"W Stewart Crossing 414450 7030000 63°23'30"N 136°42'W 2.3.1 Legal Land Description A detailed legal land description of the transmission lines and associated substations will be available after detailed engineering design, construction and easements are finalized with the Crown, private property owners and relevant NTFNs for their settlement lands. This will be filed with Yukon Government Lands at that time. 2.4 LAND TENURE A land tenure search along the proposed Route Study Area is provided in Appendix 2A. The line primarily crosses Crown Land and First Nation Settlement Land and Yukon Energy has made every attempt to avoid crossing privately-owned lands. Land Use Maps depicting land use along both the CS and MS Route Study Areas are provided in Appendix 2B, (Maps 2B-1 through 2B-7). Original 28 x 24 scale maps of these Land Use Maps are included on the Map Folio CD accompanying this submission. Management and Protected Areas: The Project is adjacent to the following management and protected areas (more detail is provided in Chapter 6, Section 6.3.2.1): • Five Finger Rapids Recreation Site • Lhutsaw Wetland Habitat Protection Area • Jackfish Lake Park Reserve • Ddhaw Ghro Habitat Protection Area These areas are avoided by the Project’s final ROW, due to the iterative route selection process outlined in Chapter 7, Evaluation of Route Alternatives. Chapter 2 Page 2-4 Project Location Carmacks-Stewart/Minto Spur Project Proposal Submission Transmission Project September 2006 Trapping and Outfitting Concession Areas: The Project overlaps 12 trapping concessions: 10 concessions for the CS line and two for the MS line. More detailed information, including a trapping concession map, is found in Chapter 6, Section 6.3.2.1. The Project overlaps three outfitting concessions: Trophy Stone Safaris, Mervyn’s Yukon Outfitting, and Rogue River Outfitters Ltd. More detail including a map of outfitting concessions is found in Chapter 6, Section 6.3.2.2. Mineral, Aggregate and Agricultural claims: There are two known mining claims within the Route Study Area: Cash Resources has a coal exploration concession on the east side of Tantalus Butte which lies adjacent to the proposed CS transmission ROW, and Sherwood Copper Corporation owns and is developing the Minto Mine claims where the MS line crosses into and terminates. Western Copper holds numerous quartz claims and leases within the broad Project Study Region, extending from the Klondike Highway at McGregor Creek west to their proposed mine site along Williams Creek. In addition to mining claims, aggregate materials are mined throughout the Project Study Region. The Yukon Government Department of Highways has 23 aggregate notations within the Project Study Region which include active quarry pits, stockpiles, reserves and maintenance yards. The Project is immediately adjacent to or will cross 7 of these gravel pits. Greater detail on mining and aggregate materials can be found in Chapter 6, Section 6.3.2.2 There is one parcel of agricultural land which the CS transmission line is proposed to cross, running along the west side of the Klondike Highway immediately south of McGregor Creek. This AG Application # 746 has recently been approved by Yukon Government but is pending due to a challenge by LSCFN. The CS line also passes in the vicinity of three other agricultural parcels: two applications north of McGregor Creek and one Agreement for Sale at McCabe Creek. In these cases the CS transmission line is on the opposite side of the Klondike Highway. More details on the use of this land are found in Chapter 6, Section 6.3.2.2.