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Personal Communications
Andrew Taylor – Range Biologist, Canadian Forces Base Suffield, Alberta
Chuck Harp - Season Summary Coordinator, Rocky Mountain Region, Colorado
Gary Anweiler – Associate, University of Alberta, Strickland Entomology Museum, Alberta
Joel Perry – Park Supervisor - Douglas Provincial Park, Saskatchewan
Sharilyn Westworth – Wildlife Technician, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment Canada, Alberta
Critical habitat for the Gold-edged Gem in the Empress Meander (Dune Point) (near Bindloss), Pakowki Lake (near Manyberries) and Middle sand hills (in Suffield NWA) of Alberta, and the Burstall, and Tunstall (near Golden Prairie) sand hills of Saskatchewan.
Critical habitat for the Gold-edged Gem in the Cramersburg (near Abbey) sand hills of Saskatchewan.
Critical habitat for the Gold-edged Gem in the Elbow sand hills, Saskatchewan.
Critical habitat for the Gold-edged Gem in the Dundurn sand hills, Saskatchewan.
Critical habitat for the Gold-edged Gem in the Brandon sand hills, Manitoba.
Appendix B – Quarter sections containing Gold-edged Gem critical habitat in Canada[8]
Quarter sections containing Gold-edged Gem critical habitat Canada.
Saskatchewan | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dune field | Quarter section | Section | Township | Range | Meridian |
Tunstall sand hills | NW | 6 | 14 | 28 | 3 |
Tunstall sand hills | NE | 6 | 14 | 28 | 3 |
Tunstall sand hills | SE | 6 | 14 | 28 | 3 |
Tunstall sand hills | NE | 3 | 14 | 28 | 3 |
Tunstall sand hills | NW | 2 | 14 | 28 | 3 |
Burstall sand hills | NE | 14 | 20 | 29 | 3 |
Cramersburg sand hills | NE | 9 | 22 | 19 | 3 |
Cramersburg sand hills | SE | 12 | 22 | 20 | 3 |
Elbow sand hills | SE | 23 | 24 | 4 | 3 |
Elbow sand hills | SW | 24 | 24 | 4 | 3 |
Elbow sand hills | NW | 13 | 24 | 4 | 3 |
Elbow sand hills | NE | 14 | 24 | 4 | 3 |
Elbow sand hills | NE | 15 | 24 | 4 | 3 |
Elbow sand hills | NW | 14 | 24 | 4 | 3 |
Elbow sand hills | NW | 15 | 24 | 3 | 3 |
Elbow sand hills | NE | 15 | 24 | 3 | 3 |
Elbow sand hills | SE | 15 | 24 | 3 | 3 |
Dundurn sand hills | NW | 30 | 32 | 5 | 3 |
Alberta | |||||
Dune field | Quarter section | Section | Township | Range | Meridian |
Pakowki Lake sand hills | SE | 21 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
Pakowki Lake sand hills | SW | 22 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
Pakowki Lake sand hills | NW | 22 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
Pakowki Lake sand hills | NE | 22 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
Pakowki Lake sand hills | SE | 22 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | NE | 6 | 16 | 5 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | NW | 11 | 18 | 4 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | SW | 14 | 18 | 4 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | NE | 11 | 18 | 4 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | SE | 11 | 18 | 4 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | SW | 31 | 18 | 3 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | NW | 27 | 19 | 3 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | SW | 27 | 19 | 3 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | NE | 10 | 20 | 3 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | SW | 14 | 19 | 3 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | SE | 15 | 19 | 3 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | NW | 14 | 19 | 3 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | NW | 23 | 19 | 3 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | NE | 19 | 19 | 3 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | NW | 19 | 19 | 3 | 4 |
Middle sand hills | SW | 19 | 19 | 3 | 4 |
Empress Meander (Dune Point) sand hills | NE | 12 | 23 | 4 | 4 |
Empress Meander (Dune Point) sand hills | SW | 7 | 23 | 3 | 4 |
Manitoba | |||||
Dune field | Quarter section | Section | Township | Range | Meridian |
Brandon sand hills | NW | 22 | 8 | 14 | 1 |
Brandon sand hills | NE | 21 | 8 | 14 | 1 |
Brandon sand hills | SE | 21 | 8 | 14 | 1 |
Brandon sand hills | SW | 22 | 8 | 14 | 1 |
Brandon sand hills | SE | 22 | 8 | 14 | 1 |
Brandon sand hills | NE | 15 | 8 | 14 | 1 |
Brandon sand hills | NW | 15 | 8 | 14 | 1 |
A strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is conducted on all SARA recovery planning documents, in accordance with the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals. The purpose of a SEA is to incorporate environmental considerations into the development of public policies, plans, and program proposals to support environmentally sound decision-making.
Recovery planning is intended to benefit species at risk and biodiversity in general. However, it is recognized that strategies may also inadvertently lead to environmental effects beyond the intended benefits. The planning process based on national guidelines directly incorporates consideration of all environmental effects, with a particular focus on possible impacts upon non-target species or habitats. The results of the SEA are incorporated directly into the strategy itself, but are also summarized below in this statement.
Sand dune ecosystems support a wide range of rare and highly specialized plants and animals, many of which are at risk of extinction in Canada. As such, it is anticipated that the activities identified in this recovery strategy will benefit several species and the environment. In particular, the endangered Ord’s Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys ordii) that sometimes occurs in the same habitat as Gold-edged Gem, would benefit from management and research activities identified in this strategy. Several at risk plants occur in sand dunes including the endangered Small-flowered Sand-verbena (Tripterocalyx micranthus) and Tiny Cryptantha (Cryptantha minima), as well as the threatened Hairy Prairie-clover (Dalea villosa var. villosa), Smooth Goosefoot (Chenopodium subglabrum) and Western Spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis). Several rare moths are also found in association with Gold-edged Gem habitat including the endangered White Flower Moth (Schinia bimatris), Aweme Borer Moth (Papaipema aweme) and Dusky Dune Moth (Copablepharon longipenne), as well as the special concern Pale Yellow Dune Moth (Copablepharon grandis).
Accordingly, management and conservation measures aimed at Gold-edged Gem recovery will benefit many of these rare and sensitive species and overall, will contribute to the future conservation of active dune ecosystems.
8 As described in Section 7.1, critical habitat is identified at each Gold-edged Gem location as the active open sand dunes and/or blowouts, encompassing the area from the crest of the dune to the edge where native vegetation grows and the dune is stabilized.
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