Summary UWRs Sub Unit SPC-009-185936

Road to be minimal disturbance winter and to use existing linear disturbance.

Limited impacts to forest cover 

Established as low elevation winter range to maintain large unfragmented (road-less) habitat for caribou.

Limit roads (secondary/seasonal)

Limited impacts to forest cover.

To maintain large road-less unfragmented forest areas associated with arboreal and terrestrial lichen.

Minimize disturbance in winter period (Nov01-Apr30) critical activity to be completed early winter (Nov01-Jan30).

Minimize:

a.         Predator mobility and human access

b.         Attractants for ungulates (forage)

c.         Sensory disturbances

d.         Displacement of caribou.

Avoid:

a.         Peatlands complexes

b.         Fens and black spruce bogs

c.         Complex water bodies

d.         Mature black spruce stands (lichen)

e.         Lichen bearing stands 

Planning Measures: 

Secondary roads only

Road construction to the lowest possible standard as long as safety elements are met.

Low impact, low maintenance winter roads are considered appropriate and preferred

Use existing disturbance corridors  to minimize construction of new access

Limit impacts to forest cover.

Cluster activity to minimize fragmentation.

Maintain large leave areas >600ha and forest movement trails/connectivity between leave 

Minimize predator mobility and attractants

Avoid creating new linear disturbances

Apply a 250m buffer around natural meadows and openings

Do not cross meadows, wetlands or RMA

Minimize impacts to lichen by avoiding pine leading forest stands (>50yrs old)

 Operational Measures:

 Critical activity to be completed early winter (Nov01-Jan30).

Prevent sensory disturbance and displacement of caribou.

Minimize predator mobility and attractants

Provide visual screening along corridors

Minimize snow ploughing

No seeding grasses and legumes that attract ungulates

Minimize impacts to lichen:

use snow cover and frozen ground to improve lichen survival and regeneration

retain trees for dispersal of lichen

Mitigate and restore:

Control access to limit human/predator use

Manage for line of sight (screens/doglegs)

Promptly deactivate access

Encourage natural regeneration by distributing coarse woody debris, mounding, seeding/planting (native species).