UWR | u-9-002 | SPC-038
Region: Peace
Legal under OGAA: Yes
Legal under FRPA: Yes
Notes: Mt Robert, high elevation mtn goat winter range (many citations of resident goats and transient billies occupying this UWR)
- Escape terrain (steep slopes including cliffs, windswept alpine ridges, and rocky escarpments),
- Foraging areas adjacent to escape terrain. (shrubs and grass communities).
- Steep south and south-west facing slopes, windswept ridges, conifer bluffs, snow shedding slopes.
- Mineral licks and connectivity trails.
- Minimize disturbance and ensure that activities do not disrupt behaviour of adult females and young during the lambing season.
- Maintain continued use of escape terrain, adjacent foraging areas, and natal areas by Mountain Goat.
- Maintain desired plant communities and key habitat features.
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.
- 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).
Linear Features (roads, pipelines, seismic)
All:
- Minimize linear disturbance as they enhance predator mobility especially near critical areas.
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.
- Minimize noise and use of mechanical clearing and activity in identified habitat.
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 or WHA for Mountain Goat, 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
- 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.
General Wildlife Measures
No roads or trails
Retain all forest cover
Established as high elevation winter range to maintain large unfragmented (road-less) habitat for caribou.
No roads or impacts to forest cover.
Retain large contiguous blocks of mid to high elevation forest associated with arboreal and terrestrial lichen.
Minimize disturbance in winter period (Nov01-Apr30) critical activity to be completed early winter (Nov01-Jan30).
Prevent disturbances that increase predator mobility, human access and attract other ungulate species.
Reduce sensory disturbances and displacement of caribou.
Avoid:
-
Peatlands complexes
-
Fens and black spruce bogs
-
Complex water bodies
-
Mature coniferous stands (associated with arboreal lichen)
Lichen bearing stands
Planning Measures:
No roads or trails. No impacts to forest cover.
Prevent fragmentation.
No new linear corridors or disturbances.
Avoid lichen bearing forest stands and old forest (>120 years old)
Operational Measures:
Minimize disturbance in winter period (Nov01-Apr30) critical activity to be completed early winter (Nov01-Jan30).
Coordinate access.
Prevent sensory disturbance and displacement of caribou.
Minimize predator mobility and attractants
Minimize snow ploughing
Minimize impacts to lichen:
- use snow cover and frozen ground to prevent ground disturbance
- retain trees for dispersal of lichen
Mitigate and restore:
- Manage for line of sight (screens/doglegs)
- Promptly deactivate access
- Expedite the regeneration of lichen bearing conifers