Nalcor Energy Lower Churchill Project, Environmental Effects Monitoring Program 2017 Mealy Mountains Herd (MMH) Caribou

Transcription

1 Nalcor Energy Lower Churchill Project, Environmental Effects Monitoring Program 2017 Mealy Mountains Herd (MMH) Caribou 2017 Aerial Survey Prepared for: Nalcor Energy Hydro Place, 500 Columbus Drive P.O. Box St. John s, NL A1B 0C9 Prepared by: Stassinu Stantec 141 Kelsey Drive St. John s, NL A1B 0L Burnwood Drive Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL A0P 1C0 File No: Field Report

2 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION SURVEY OBJECTIVES METHODS RESULTS SURVEY EFFORT AND CONDITIONS STRIP TRANSECT SURVEYS SUMMARY REFERENCES... 6 LIST OF APPENDICIES Appendix A 2017 Mealy Mountain Strip Transect Survey Results LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1 Caribou Survey Team, February 13-14, Table 4.1 Survey Effort and Weather Conditions, Mealy Mountains Caribou Herd Aerial Survey, February LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4-1 Survey Transects and Observations, February 13, Figure 4-2 Survey Transects and Observations, February 14, i

3 INTRODUCTION 1.0 INTRODUCTION The Mealy Mountains Herd (MMH) of sedentary caribou were assessed as part of the Labrador- Island Transmission Link (the Project) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (Nalcor 2009). The EIS noted that the MMH herd was stable, but the main limiting factors were illegal hunting and predation, both of which may increase as a result of construction of the Project (e.g., through increased access by Off-Highway Vehicles and predators). The EIS predicted that there would be adverse environmental effects on the MMH, however, the Project would not cause a population decline such that the viability or recovery of the Herd was threatened. To address the concerns and commitments made in the EIS, the MMH Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) Program was developed to examine the distribution and movements of telemetered MMH caribou prior to the initiation of construction activities (i.e., baseline data from available telemetry data from , plus data accumulated until the start of construction in this area) with data collected during Project construction. To this end, a collaring and aerial survey program was initiated in 2014 to document MMH caribou observations (and/or indications of presence) during the construction phase. The 2017 surveys represent the final year of sampling for the MMH EEM Program. This field report describes the methods and results from aerial surveys completed in February A final report will be submitted at a later date, combining the efforts and findings from all surveys. 2.0 SURVEY OBJECTIVES The primary objective of the MMH EEM Program is to monitor the effects of the Project on MMH caribou, particularly whether their movement and distribution patterns change because of Project activities (e.g., vegetation clearing). The specific objectives of the 2017 field program were: To record locations of caribou and/or evidence of their presence (e.g., tracks, cratering) in the winter range of the MMH To support ongoing Project mitigation 3.0 METHODS The Study Team for the field program included Stassinu Stantec personnel and members of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Environment and Conservation s Wildlife Division (NLDEC-WD), as well as a pilot from Universal Helicopters Newfoundland and Labrador (Table 3.1). 1 File No:

4 RESULTS Table 3.1 Caribou Survey Team, February 13-14, 2017 Team Members Wayne Tucker Richard Martin Tony Parr Christopher White Richard Neville Role (Position in Helicopter) Project Manager Pilot, Universal Helicopters Newfoundland and Labrador (Front Right) Field Team Lead, Biologist (Navigator / Front Left) Field Observer (Rear Left) Field Observer, Biologist with NLDEC-WD (Rear Right) Prior to start of the field program, all personnel reviewed Stantec s Risk Management Strategy (RMS) 1 and 2 forms to ensure safety hazards were identified. An aerial strip transect survey was completed over a two-day period between February 13 and February 14, 2017, covering a 20 km-long area of overlap between the Project footprint and core winter habitat (and habitat with potential occupancy) for the MMH. A Bell 206L Long Ranger helicopter equipped with bubble rear windows (to enhance visibility) was used throughout the survey. The aircraft was flown at km/hour at an altitude of approximately 100 m above ground level (agl), along pre-established transects (Stantec 2017) spaced at 2 and 4 km-intervals. Each observer searched an area extending approximately 200 m on either side of the aircraft, for signs of caribou. Waypoints of caribou sightings and/or tracks/cratering were geo-referenced using GPS and additional comments were recorded on field data sheets. 4.0 RESULTS 4.1 Survey Effort and Conditions Twenty transect lines were flown on February 13 (Figure 4-1), and 15 on February 14 (Figure 4-2). A total of 11.5 hours of flying time was required over the two-day period to complete the survey (Table 4.1). Weather conditions on both survey days were suitable for aerial observations (Table 4.1). 2 File No:

5 NALCOR ENERGY LOWER CHURCHILL PROJECT, ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS MONITORING RESULTS Figure 4-1 Survey Transects and Observations, February 13, 2017 *Flagged areas indicate locations of observations. 3 File No:

6 NALCOR ENERGY LOWER CHURCHILL PROJECT, ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS MONITORING RESULTS Figure 4-2 Survey Transects and Observations, February 14, 2017 *Flagged areas indicate locations of incidental observations. Table 4.1 Survey Effort and Weather Conditions, Mealy Mountains Caribou Herd Aerial Survey, February 2017 Date Departure Time / Return Time Survey Start Time # Transects Flown Total Flying Time (hours) Feb h / 1530h 1032h Approximately -31 C, no wind; clear blue skies. 5.2 Approximately -24 C, winds calm. Overcast skies with broken cloud later in the day. Light flurries at midday. Feb h / 1600h 1002h 15 4 Weather Conditions File No:

7 SUMMARY 4.2 Strip Transect Surveys Over the two-day survey period, the following observations of significance were made (Figure 4-1 and Appendix A): Two bald stag caribou were observed in transit to the survey area, approximately 2.5 km north of the transect survey lines (at N / W). Evidence of recent caribou cratering (at N / W). Incidental observations included otter and moose, and tracks of otter, wolf, lynx, and moose (Appendix A). The majority of moose tracks were found along the Kenamu and Traverspine rivers, where seven moose were observed. 5.0 SUMMARY The 2017 aerial survey documented two caribou, as well as evidence of caribou presence (tracks and cratering) in the MMH winter range, although the observations of caribou were beyond the area covered by the survey transects. Note that results from this survey only examined a small portion of the MMH core winter range in proximity to the Project, and do not reflect overall status of the population. Information from the 2017 surveys will be used in combination with results from previous surveys to assess movement and distribution patterns of MMH caribou in relation to Project activities. 5 File No:

8 REFERENCES 6.0 REFERENCES Nalcor Energy Labrador-Island Transmission Link Environmental Impact Statement, Volume 2A Existing Biophysical Environment. pp Appendix File No:

9 APPENDIX A 2017 Survey Results

10 Table A Mealy Mountain Strip Transect Survey Results Waypoint Date Latitude Longitude Species Observation 822 February Wolf Tracks 823 February Caribou 2 animals 824 February Wolf Tracks 825 February Moose Tracks 826 February Otter Tracks 827 February Moose Tracks 828 February Otter Tracks 829 February Otter Tracks 830 February Caribou Tracks 831 February Moose Tracks 832 February Moose Tracks 833 February Lynx Tracks 834 February Moose Tracks 835 February Wolf Tracks 836 February Moose Tracks 837 February Otter Tracks 838 February Lynx Tracks 839 February Otter 1 animal 840 February Otter Tracks 841 February Moose Tracks 842 February Wolf Tracks 843 February Wolf Tracks 848 February Moose Tracks 849 February Moose Tracks 850 February Moose Tracks 851 February Moose Tracks 852 February Fox Tracks 853 February Otter Tracks 854 February Moose Tracks 855 February Otter Tracks 856 February Otter Tracks 857 February Moose Tracks 858 February Otter Tracks 859 February Moose Tracks 860 February Wolf Tracks 861 February Moose Tracks 862 February Wolf Tracks 863 February Moose 3 animals A-1

11 Waypoint Date Latitude Longitude Species Observation 864 February Moose Tracks 865 February Moose Tracks 866 February Moose Tracks 867 February Moose 4 animals 868 February Moose Tracks 869 February Moose Tracks 870 February Moose Tracks 871 February Moose Tracks 872 February Moose Tracks A-2