Cenovus Caribou Habitat Restoration Project

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Cordelia Lillian Ross
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1 Cenovus Caribou Habitat Restoration Project Conservation offset insights from the LiDea project Michael Cody Specialist, Land & Biodiversity AACO Offsets Webinar Jan 5th 2017

2 Outline A proposed caribou model Cenovus s approach to forest habitat restoration The LiDea projects LiDea monitoring and preliminary results Some observations on offsets

3 Integrating environment into all we do Minimizing our land footprint Reducing our air emissions Using less water The status quo isn t good enough when it comes to environmental performance. -Harbir Chhina, Executive Vice-President, Oil Sands 3

4 Caribou issue Iconic Canadian species Traditional Aboriginal value Significant media attention Hardy + sensitive Reference: Alberta Sustainable Resource Development and Alberta Conservation Association November 19, 2015

5 Woodland Caribou Decline related to habitat disturbance Wolf population Moose & deer population Young vegetation & edge habitat Vegetation disturbance Caribou population We attempt to address both immediate and ultimate causes 5

6 Early seral condition Reference: Wilson S.F Integrated Management of Boreal Caribou in Northestern BC. BC Boreal Caribou Research and Effectiveness Monitoring Board November 19, 2015

is generally a matter of luck Kimmins, J.P.

7 Without an adequate theoretical and/or empirical knowledge of succession, successful land management is generally a matter of luck Kimmins, J.P Forest Ecology, MacMillan Inc., New York November 19, 2015

8 Disturbance, recovery and the ecological theater Vs. 8

9 Cold Lake herd landscape 19 km 8 m 82 km 9

10 Cenovus s approach to restoration Objective - successional advancement Use silviculture the practice of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests to meet diverse needs and values. (Silviculture. Dec In Wikipedia. Retrieved Jan. 4 th 2017, from Tools Site preparation (cultivate or modify soil and microsite) Stand modification (bend stems, roll-back woody debris) Tree planting (one year old, 15 cm conifer seedlings) Date here 10

11 Site preparation - mounding November 19, 2015

12 Mounding literature Reference: Mounding for Site Preparation, FRDA Memo No. 100, July 1989; 12

13 Stand modification Date here 13

14 Tree Planting Date here 14

15 Cenovus linear deactivation (LiDea) & restoration 1 year Video: 7 years 15

16 Applied investigation in restoration Historical Mounding Est Compare active vs. passive approach Test basic silvicultre for application in oil and gas LiDea I Est Pilot linear deactivation Test linear restoration techniques & monitor at site level ROSE Est Restoration of OSE* sites Test a range of silviculture tools LiDea II Est Forest Habitat Restoration Test plant and animal response at site, individual and population levels South LiDea Est Forest Habitat Restoration Operational and multi-party Extension of LiDea CLARA Est Forest Landscape Restoration Apply LiDea techniques to range 16

17 Historical mounding project Est Test basic silviculture Wet, low productivity forest 17

height (cm) Seven summers after restoration treatment 140 120 100 80

18 height (cm) Seven summers after restoration treatment Control Plant as is Mound and Plant Larch Black spruce 18

19 Vegetation response - better tree survival 19

20 Vegetation response woody ingress 20

21 Active restoration (silviculture) works! Control site remains stagnant under passive revegetation since 1997 Site treated with silviculture in

22 Restoration of oilsands exploration wells (ROSE) Notes: Exploration wellsites range of site types est course woody debris mounding and ripping pine, spruce, larch 22

23 ROSE project 23

ROSE project results various site types Notes: PAI = plant as is SP = rip (dry) and mound (wet & mesic) CWD = course woody debris Planted summer 2012 Larch on wet sites Interpretations:

24 ROSE project results various site types Notes: PAI = plant as is SP = rip (dry) and mound (wet & mesic) CWD = course woody debris Planted summer 2012 Larch on wet sites Interpretations: Height 50 cm after 3 seasons Larch more responsive than black spruce Mesic sites: SP>PAI/CWD (competition) Dry sites: CWD>PAI>SP (drought stress) Wet sites: SP>CWD/PAI (excess moisture) 24

Linear deactivation (LiDea) project Forest habitat treatment for restoration Mounding, planting and stem bending Objectives: conifer abundance/growth

25 Linear deactivation (LiDea) project Forest habitat treatment for restoration Mounding, planting and stem bending Objectives: conifer abundance/growth trafficability/sightlines restore species distribution adaptive, operationally viable methods controlled design measured/monitored 25

26 237 km treated in 37,000 hectares

27 Landscape scale Legend LineA Treatment Mound + WD + Plant Mound + Plant WD + Plant Fill Plant +WD WD None

LiDea monitoring Multiple scales, species and metrics 3-yr program completed, analysis and reporting underway long-term effectiveness monitoring plan being developed Vegetation development Large

28 LiDea monitoring Multiple scales, species and metrics 3-yr program completed, analysis and reporting underway long-term effectiveness monitoring plan being developed Vegetation development Large mammal use & movement Vegetation both manual and remote measurement techniques Site level Individual level Search, encounter, kill rates Predict BAU > TRT ~ NAT Population level Survival, recruitment, population Predict BAU < TRT ~ NAT Wildlife use and movement remote camera photo captures 102 cameras deployed 50 bears 64 wolves 23 moose 9 caribou > 300 predation site investigations 3 yrs of surveys >1000 fecal pellet samples 28

29 Wildlife response reduced use of lines Coyote LiDea Treated Lines Canadian Lynx LiDea Untreated Lines Grey Wolf Black Bear Deer sp. Moose Woodland Caribou Observations per 100 camera days 29

30 Utilization of features according to treatment intensity 30

31 Utilization of features according to treatment intensity 31

32 Utilization of features according to treatment intensity 32

33 Observations on offsets & restoration Issues: uncertainty, dynamic ecosystems, frame of reference, objectives, metrics Proposed principles: clearly articulated values, problem statement and objectives biophysically effective forest as dynamic system, cycles of disturbance and recovery (never static) Consider a systems approach considering: processes inputs/outputs boundaries What appropriate boundaries for system? Caribou range? Eco-zone? Land use or management zone? Boundaries based on principles & best current science Date here 33

34 Caribou habitat restoration Anthropogenic disturbances may create novel ecosystems Novel ecosystems + climate change = uncertainty Silviculture & active restoration increase predictability Attempt to resolve core problem, but Other short-term management likely required Large, intensive disturbances required for forest health Confidence in restoration requires Clear policy and defined problem statement Aligned regulation and management practice (align both scale and intent) Inform methods with understanding of ecology & soil-plant system Date here 34

35 Thank-you Contact: Michael Cody Office: Cell: January 5 th

Action Plan for West-Central Alberta Caribou Recovery

Action Plan for West-Central Alberta Caribou Recovery Alberta Sustainable Resource Development May 2009 Table of Contents Executive Summary...3 Action Plan for West-Central Alberta Caribou Recovery...