Environmental Information Management System

Planning and Operational measures for the oil and gas sector

Species | M-ALAL - Moose

General Information

Name: Moose

Phylum: Craniata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Artiodactyla

Family: Cervidae

Scientific: Alces americanus

Key Habitat Features

  • Prefer mosaic of second-growth forest, openings, swamps, lakes, wetlands, riparian areas, avalanche chutes.
  • Use shallow water for foraging aquatic plants.
  • Require hardwood-conifer forests for winter cover.
  • Use mineral licks in late spring and early summer.

Objectives

  • Minimize disturbance and ensure that activities do not disrupt behaviour of adult females and young during the calving season.
  • Maintain desired plant communities and key habitat features.
  • Maintain habitat for security and thermal cover.

Planning and Operational Measures

Planning Measures

All Activities

  • Identify key habitat features using appropriate measures (i.e. QP direction, desktop review, field confirmation, etc) and plan activities within the operating area accordingly.
  • Minimize opening size to maintain access to security and thermal cover.
  • Time works such that they occur outside of the critical timing window.
  • Apply the appropriate survey and setback requirements for WHFs within identified habitat. (Refer to section 1.9 of the EPMG for additional guidance on WHFs).

Operational Measures

All Activities

  • Undertake construction and operation of oil and gas activities in a manner that minimizes impacts to desired plant communities and key habitat features.
  • Maintain openings to traditional wildlife trails leading to mineral licks.

 

Timing considerations when working within identified habitat:

  • Avoid disturbance and/or clearing activities within know birthing areas during the critical timing window from May 15 to July 15.

 

  • Where an application area is within a NEBC UWR for Moose, please refer to the EIMS summary for that Order. Proponents are required to adhere to the guidance provided in that summary, including any relevant timing considerations.

 

Linear Features

All

  • Avoid creation of linear features within known birthing areas.
  • Upon completion of the activity, undertake the following measures to encourage re-establishment of the pre-disturbance ecological trajectory:
  • deactivate unnecessary access corridors,
  • undertake measures to control access,
  • promote natural or assisted regeneration.