Caribou Recovery Strategy: Overview of Denhoff report recommendations, the Little Smoky and A La Peche draft plan and feed back received

Transcription

1 Caribou Recovery Strategy: Overview of Denhoff report recommendations, the Little Smoky and A La Peche draft plan and feed back received November 3, 2016

2 Presentation Purpose Provide an overview of the May 2016 Denhoff report recommendations Provide an overview of the draft range plan for the Little Smoky and A La Peche Ranges Provide a summary of what we heard following the release of the draft plan.

3 Alberta Caribou as Species-At-Risk In Alberta, woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are classified as two ecotypes: mountain and boreal (equivalent to the central mountain and boreal as defined nationally). The A La Peche caribou population consists of the mountain ecotype, while the Little Smoky caribou population consists of the boreal ecotype. Boreal and Southern Mountain Woodland Caribou are listed as Threatened under Canada s Species at Risk Act.

4 Federal Requirements Two Caribou recovery strategies (Boreal and Mountain) establish legal requirements for critical habitat under the Species At Risk Act The Federal Caribou Recovery Strategy states that range plans must be developed for each population that show how land will be managed to achieve 65% undisturbed habitat The main habitat goal for each range is achievement 65% undisturbed habitat within 50 to 100 years The ultimate requirement is self-sustaining caribou population for each range.

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6 Federal Intervention Risk If critical habitat is not effectively protected, the federal Minister of Environment must recommend a safety net order to federal cabinet, who decides if the order will be issued. A safety net order could prohibit destruction of any part of the critical habitat defined in the order. The range plans is an opportunity for Alberta to lead the recovery strategy that the Federal government must have in place for caribou.

7 Mediators Report: Setting Alberta on the Path to Caribou Recovery The Mediator Eric Denhoff started in December 2015 and met with First Nations and key Stakeholders Mr. Denhoff along with Key staff from GoA, collected information from Stakeholders and First Nationss resulting in 42 recommendations on how to move forward with Caribou Recovery Final Report was delivered on May 30, 2016 All 42 recommendations have been accepted and will be implemented in a manner that covers the intent of each individual recommendation

8 Mediators Report: Stakeholders Engaged Indigenous Peoples Aseniwuche Winewak Nation Horse Lake First Nation Sturgeon Cree First Nation Little Red River Cree Nation Municipalities Whitecourt Woodlands County Grande Cache M.D. of Greenview Hinton Forestry Alberta Newsprint Company Tolko Foothills Forest Products Millar Western West Fraser Canadian Forest Products Academia Dr. Stan Boutin, University of Alberta Non-Governmental Organizations Alberta Wilderness Association CPAWS Nature Conservancy Environmental Law Centre Pembina Institute Alberta Association for Conservation Offsets FRI Research & Foothills Landscape Management Forum Energy CAPP & EPAC Jupiter XTO Energy Encana Cequence Paramount Tourmaline Canadian Natural Resources Limited ConocoPhillips Ikkuma Resources Government Federal Government Environment Canada

9 Summary of Mediator Report The mediator s report has made recommendations intended to: support ongoing industrial activities; support the protection of critical caribou habitat; manage wildlife populations; accelerate habitat recovery on seismic lines; and enhance the involvement of Indigenous peoples in range planning and recovery actions. Identifies specific strategies for the Little Smoky and A La Peche Ranges as well as providing recommendations to support future planning in the Chinchaga, Caribou Mountains and Red Earth caribou ranges.

10 Key Recommendations Little Smoky and A La Peche Aggressive seismic restoration Fenced caribou rearing facility in Little Smoky Ongoing forest harvest Enable voluntary deferral of some energy development Development of new operating conditions for ongoing energy activities Ongoing wolf control Government-backed energy industry-paid Green Bond program Partnering with Indigenous Peoples

11 Map of Little Smoky and A La Peche

12 Little Smoky/ A La Peche Draft Range Plan A range plan primarily addresses how caribou habitat will be managed to achieve self-sustaining caribou populations Involves coordinating industrial development to establish an increasing habitat trajectory over time Draft Range plan is consistent with the recommendations within the Mediators report.

13 Little Smoky/ A La Peche Draft Range Plan Consists of a two prong approach 1. Stabilize population: Measures include caribou rearing facility, predator control. 2. Increase Caribou Habitat: Measures include linear restoration, strategic landscape and industrial planning.

14 Range Plan Commitments Energy GoA will work with companies to achieve a voluntary activity rescheduling and will offer agreement extensions on a case-by-case basis for companies Petroleum and natural gas rights will be available. New development may be approved, provided there is a demonstrated inability to access resources from existing roads, pipelines, facilities and well pads GoA led review within current Enhanced Approval Process (EAP) for consistency with the Range Plan goals and objectives.

15 Range Plan Commitments Caribou Rearing Facility A large (up to approximately 100 km 2 ) fenced caribou rearing facility, to contain a suitable breeding population of caribou within the Little Smoky range.

16 Range Plan Commitments Restoration Alberta will lead the development and implementation of a restoration plan for historical and existing footprint in the ranges, to increase undisturbed and effective habitat and reduce predation rates on caribou. Implementation of this plan will initially restore historical seismic lines in the ranges by the end of Industry operating in the area will be required to meet enhanced restoration requirements at the time of footprint abandonment, to be established by Alberta in communication with the Regulator, for any new footprint on or after April 1, 2017, within the caribou ranges.

17 Range Plan Commitments Access Management Required Integrated access management for all industrial activities: Including: o Preparation of a Working Group to include a (FLMF) to prepare a Regional Access Development (RAD) plan for Zone 2 o Any Party seeking to develop roads will be required to submit rolling 5-year operational access plans demonstrating consistency

18 Range Plan Commitments Forestry For any forest management unit, harvesting inside the ranges may only remove second-pass / reserve block stands (that is, stands in Zone 1) until all of that area is removed. Carryover volume must be harvested outside the ranges before proceeding to harvest inside the ranges. Harvesting plans will prioritize scheduling blocks that minimize increases to disturbed habitat.

19 Range Plan Commitments Forestry Harvesting in forest management unit W15 inside the ranges will not exceed the following levels annually: o 2016/17: 548,500 m3 o 2017/18: 498,500 m3 o 2018/19: 498,500 m3 o 2019/20: 473,500 m3 o 2020/21: 448,500 m3 Harvesting in forest management unit E8 inside the ranges will not exceed 342,000 m3 annually for the next 5 years.

20 Range Plan Commitments Forestry Forest management plans will be updated to reflect the direction in this range plan by December 31, 2016, ensuring that volume scheduled inside the ranges is identified as an independent annual schedule. Range harvest volumes may be carried forward from year to year, but may not exceed the volume cumulative to that year.. Alberta will introduce operational requirements for forestry activity to: o Require the reforestation of historical footprint adjacent to or within forest harvest cut blocks. o Require initial restoration of Class V forest roads within three years of construction.

21 What we heard from the forest industry The industry is not united Support for the plan/do not support the plan Support for the regional wood basket/opposed to the wood basket Require more certainty after year 5 Concern with the zones, range from a slight adjustment of boundary to complete removal of restriction. Believe there is a double standard when compared with other industries Remove restrictions on forest harvesting within the range

22 Thank-You

23 Current Footprint Map

24 Current Effective habitat