UWR | u-9-004 | GR-024
Region: Peace
Legal under OGAA: Yes
Legal under FRPA: Yes
Notes: Aylard - Husky Ridge
- Large intact peatland complexes, fens and black spruce bogs, and complex water bodies function as calving habitat allowing for caribou to disperse widely and calve in isolation away from predators.
- Overwinter in low-elevation pine-lichen stands (especially mature spruce stands on sunny aspects) or high elevation on wind-swept alpine ridges.
- Calve at high elevations, migrating to subalpine ridges.
- Within winter range, maintain pine-lichen forests.
- Within calving areas, maintain peatland complexes, fens and black spruce bogs.
- Manage for predator/prey relations by limiting fragmentation and managing for line of sight.
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.
- Plan oil and gas activities to avoid pine-lichen forest stands as these areas are important habitat for winter foraging by Northern Caribou. Attributes associated with pine-lichen forest stands: 25-55% crown closure, 50-110 years of age, pine 7-17m in height, a site index <13 (height less than 13m at 50 years of age), a duff layer <5cm.
- Plan location of activities such as wellsites, facility sites and all-weather roads outside of calving 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).
Linear Features (seismic, roads, pipelines)
Roads:
- Avoid creating access into calving habitat and winter foraging areas.
Seismic:
- Plan the use of existing disturbance where possible.
- Minimize the number of wetland crossings
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.
- Promote natural regeneration to pre-disturbance ecosystem and avoid artificial seeding of grass and legume based mixes as these attract primary prey species (moose and elk) and subsequently increased predators (wolf).
Timing considerations when working within identified habitat:
- When working within identified habitat, avoid disturbance and/or clearing activities in peatland complexes, fens and black spruce bogs, and complex water bodies during the calving period May 1 to June 30.
- Where an application area is within a NEBC UWR or WHA for Northern Caribou, 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.
Roads:
- Minimize snow ploughing of access route to reduce predator use.
- Where snow ploughing is necessary and roadside snow berms reach greater than 1.5m in height, create breaks in snow berms.
Seismic and Pipelines:
- Retain breaks in pipe section, soil stockpile and windrows
General Wildlife Measures
Use existing primary access routes only. Only construct low impact secondary.
Limited impacts to forest cover.
UWR for mid-low elevation winter range.
Roads to be built to lowest standards on existing disturbance. Limit impact to forest cover
Minimize human use and access. Minimize disturbance and displacement of caribou especially in later winter.
Minimize habitat loss, alteration or degradation. Prevent fragmentation and retain large leave areas.
Minimize impacts to terrestrial and arboreal lichen (pine leading forest on sunny aspects).
Maintain forest cover for caribou mobility, thermal cover, connectivity and screening.
Minimize the duration and impact of activity within the UWR by expediting activity and undertaking deactivation, rehabilitation and reclamation.
Limit predator mobility and attractants.
Avoid:
Peatland complexes
Fens and black spruce bogs
Complex water bodies
Mature black spruce stands (lichen)
Lichen bearing stands
Planning Measures:
Oil and gas activity should use existing designated primary access routes in this UWR.
Limit impacts to forest cover
Access development and deactivation should be consistent with recommendations and guidelines in Section 3 of the Dunlevy Creek Management Plan (MSRM 2002).
Maintain a network of connected forest to facilitate caribou movement.
Activity should be clustered and sequential. Minimize fragmentation.
Use existing disturbance.
Operators should coordinate access with others
Avoid peatland complexes, fens and black spruce bogs, complex water bodies, lichen bearing stands and mature pine leading stands.
Operational Measures:
Minimize disturbance in winter period. Activity to be completed (Nov01-Jan30). Complete activity as soon as practicable.
Minimize predator mobility and attractants
- Avoid linear disturbance
- Use screening to manage for line of sight (vegetation, dog legs and topography)
- Block access with snow berms when inactive
- Avoid attracting ungulates
Minimize impacts to lichen:
- avoid pine leading forest >50yrs on sunny aspects
- use snow cover and frozen ground to improve lichen survival and regeneration
- retain trees for dispersal of lichen
- avoid impacts to surficial hydrology
Restoration and Mitigation:
- Control access to limit human/predator use
- Manage for line of sight (screens/doglegs)
- Promptly deactivate access roads
- Expedite the regeneration of lichen-bearing coniferous stands