UWR | u-7-006 | Stones Sheep UWR u-7-006 S-001 - S-010
Region: Omineca
Legal under OGAA: Yes
Legal under FRPA: Yes
General Wildlife Measures
No roads.
No Impact to Forest Cover
Established to provide winter forage for Stones Sheep
Minimize
a. Human disturbance
b. Access
c. Fragmentation
Maintain
a. Forage opportunities
b. Alpine and subalpine grasses
c. Forest corridors between alpine
Avoid:
a. South and West grassy slopes
b. Critical escape terrain
c. Rocky bluffs and rugged cliffs
d. Forage near escape terrain
e. Windswept ridges
f. Steep slopes
g. Conifer bluffs
h. Snow interception
i. Security screening and cover
Planning Measures:
No impacts to forest cover or high suitability foraging (burns, windswept ridges, bluff and grass communities).
No new roads or access trails
Maintain 200m buffer adjacent to escape terrain, forest movement trails, licks and cover
Avoid:
- South & West facing grassy slopes
- Critical escape terrain
- Rocky bluffs and rugged cliffs
- Forage near escape terrain
- Windswept ridges
- Steep slopes
- Conifer bluffs
- Snow interception
- Security screening and cover
Operational Measures:
Minimize human disturbance
Helicopter activity within 2000m of UWR is only permitted 15 through Oct 31st
Activity within 500m of an occupied core winter range only to occur between Jul 15 – Oct 31st.
Reclaim access corridors near critical habitat
De-build (plant/reclaim) linear disturbances to limit access
- Escape terrain, including steep slopes, cliffs and windswept alpine ridges.
- Winter ranges on south-facing, windswept slopes that provide access to forage.
- Lambing areas (often associated with escape terrain).
- Minimize disturbance and ensure that activities do not disrupt behaviour of adult females and young during the lambing season.
- Maintain integrity of mineral licks and continued use by sheep.
- Maintain escape terrain.
- Maintain suitable winter foraging habitat.
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.
- Avoid planning activities in and around rocky outcrops, cliffs and windswept ridges within occupied Stone’s Sheep habitat.
- 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).
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.
Timing considerations when working within identified habitat:
- 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 Stone’s Sheep, 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
- 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.