Environmental Information Management System

Name: South Peace Northern Caribou

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Scientific: Rangifer tarandus pop. 18

Core high-elevation winter range (HEWR), high-elevation summer range (HESR), and low-elevation winter range (LEWR). This includes:

• High elevation and low elevation winter range on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains.
• High elevation calving terrain in alpine and sub-alpine habitat.
• Wetlands and wetland fringes where arboreal lichen is abundant.
• Old growth parkland and high-elevation subalpine forests for forage (arboreal lichen) and winter cover.
• Low elevation pine flats and mature pine or fir forests.
• Wind-swept alpine ridges and shallow subalpine ridges (for terrestrial lichens).

• Immediately stabilize and expeditiously grow the population of the Central Group to levels that are self-sustaining and support traditional aboriginal harvesting activities, consistent with existing Aboriginal and Treaty rights

• Achieve stable increasing populations of Central Southern Mountain Caribou herds (Klinse-Za, Burnt Pine, Kennedy Siding, Quintette and Narraway).

• Limit caribou mortality from wolf predation by limiting habitat alteration (early seral habitat and linear disturbance density).

• Avoid destroying caribou forage, including pine and spruce lichen forests, natural meadows, alpine and subalpine ridges, wetlands and other riparian management areas.

All Activities

• Planning measures for Southern Central Mountain Caribou are determined by geographic designations. These designations are defined by the Partnership Agreement Management Zones, and by designated wildlife habitat areas and ungulate winter range.

Planning measures in WHA and UWR: 

• Planning guidelines for wildlife habitat areas (WHA) and ungulate winter range (UWR) are listed here in EIMS.

• Where a WHA or UWR intersects a designated moratorium area, the planning measures for these designated moratorium area supersede WHA and UWR requirements.

Planning measures in designated management zones outlined in the Partnership Agreement:

• All activities in Central Southern Mountain Caribou areas (in the vicinity of Mackenzie, Tumbler Ridge and Chetwynd) are required to meet the moratorium objectives defined in the Draft Section 11 Agreement and Draft Partnership Agreement.

• The guidelines established under the Draft Section 11 Agreement and Draft Partnership Agreement supersede the General Wildlife Planning and Operational Measures identified for WHA: 9-066, 9-029, 9-050 through 9-073, 9-144, 9-145, and for UWR u-9-002: SPC001-008, SPC 010-011, SPC 013-017, SPC 019-032, SPC 034-048, where they intersect moratorium areas.

• Zones A2, B2 and B3 are established as Moratorium Areas, prohibiting statutory decision-makers from adjudicating applications for resource development, except in special circumstances identified in the regulatory measures (see the Partnership Agreement and the associated Guidance to Proponents on Applications for further details)  

• Zones A1, B1, B4, and B5 are established as Sustainable Resource Activity Areas.  All proposed development activity requiring a permit require the submission of a caribou impact assessment and a mitigation plan, from a Qualified Professional in wildlife biology (RP Bio), outlining how the development is consistent with the shared recovery objectives. Applications, assessments and mitigations falling within these areas will be reviewed by Caribou Recovery Committee (CRC).

• Proponents are encouraged to contact the Caribou Recovery Committee to review application information requirements and initiate the review process at CRC@gov.bc.ca.

• Application Information Requirements for caribou impact assessments and mitigation plans in Sustainable Resource Activity Areas are outlined in the Partnership Agreement Caribou Recovery Committee Guidance to Proponents on Applications (PDF, 288KB).

• The mitigation plan should also consider the provincial Policy for Mitigating Impacts on Environmental Values, including full consideration of measures to avoid, mitigate, restore and offset impacts, to ensure there is a net positive outcome of caribou habitat.

Planning measures for Southern Central Mountain Caribou outside designated Partnership management zones, and WHA and UWR:

• Qualified Professional to identify key habitat features and to plan activities within the operating area accordingly, and develop a mitigation plan that identifies and appropriately mitigates the risk of interaction of those activities on caribou and caribou habitat

• Activity must occur outside of the critical timing window

• Maintain known and potential mineral licks and associated wildlife trails to licks in a natural state. 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) 

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.
• Time activities during frozen ground conditions when there is sufficient snow cover to avoid ground disturbance and protect terrestrial lichen.
• Use existing disturbance where possible.
• Minimize disturbance to duff layer and vegetative root mat.
• Meander seismic lines
• Manage for line of sight through use of dead-ends and dog-legs
• Provide line-blocking at all line intersections and access control where lines intersect right of way.
• Prevent sensory disturbance and displacement of caribou.
• Promote natural regeneration to pre-disturbance ecosystem.
• Avoid the use of seed mixes that attract primary prey species (e.g. moose)
• Promptly deactivate and restore all areas not required for on-going operations
• Restore habitat to a condition that reflects pre-habitat alteration site conditions
• Minimize snow ploughing

Improving and maintaining habitat quality (distribution and function) is currently the primary management objective for the recovery of all caribou ecotypes.  Timing windows, to avoid sensory disturbances during critical periods of the lifecycle (e.g. calving), will require consideration of herd variability and seasonal patterns of habitat use.  General timing windows and related best practices are as follows:

• Time operations to minimize disturbance to Caribou during critical late winter period (Feb-April).
• Time operations to avoid disturbance to Caribou during the critical calving window from May 1 through July 15.
• Defer industrial activities where active Caribou use is occurring and known.