Southern mountain caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) protection study 2017

Official title: Canada-British Columbia Southern Mountain Caribou (Central Group) Protection Study - February 2017

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Table of contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Biological review and study context
• 3. Description of legislative instruments
• 4. Analysis of legislative instruments
• 5. Preliminary review of risks
• 6. Anticipated next steps
• 7. References
• Annex 1. History of application – authorizations issued after establishment of legislative instruments
• Annex 2. Key maps for high elevation data

Table of contents

Note: This document has been prepared for the purpose of supporting a review of legislation used to manage Southern Mountain Caribou and their habitat in BC. The analysis and conclusions should be not used to inform conclusions or analysis for any specific project or activity.

• 1. Introduction
  • 1.1 Background to the Protection Study
  • 1.2 Federal and Provincial Approaches to Caribou Recovery
    • 1.2.1 Federal Approach to Caribou Recovery
    • 1.2.2 BC’s Approach to Caribou Recovery
    • 1.2.3 Differences in Terminology, and Approach Used For This Study
  • 1.3 Protection Study Components
  • 1.4 Scope of the Protection Study
• 2. Biological Review and Study Context
  • 2.1 Population Numbers and Trends
  • 2.2 Population and Distribution Objectives
    • 2.2.1 Federal Caribou Objectives
    • 2.2.2 BC’s Caribou Objectives
  • 2.3 Recovery Actions
    • 2.3.1 Predation control
    • 2.3.2 Aerial wolf removal
    • 2.3.3 Indirect measures by sterilizing alpha pairs
    • 2.3.4 Primary prey reduction
    • 2.3.5 Maternity penning
    • 2.3.6 Herd augmentation (transplant, captive breeding)
    • 2.3.7 Captive Breeding
    • 2.3.8 Wildlife collaring and monitoring
    • 2.3.9 Caribou Surveys
    • 2.3.10 Management of Human Disturbance (recreational Activities)
    • 2.3.11 Industry Management Practices
    • 2.3.12 Summary of financial investment in direct management of southern mountain caribou
  • 2.4 Critical Habitat Identification
    • 2.4.1 Critical Habitat Locations
    • 2.4.2. Critical Habitat Amounts
    • 2.4.3. Critical Habitat Type
  • 2.5 Important Caribou Habitat Identified by BC
  • 2.6 Disturbance in Low Elevation Winter and Type 1 matrix ranges
  • 2.7 Activities Likely to Result in Destruction of Critical Habitat
• 3. Description of Legislative Instruments
  • 3.1 Overview of relevant laws governing use of provincial Crown land in B.C.
    • 3.1.1 Approach to Review of Legislation
  • 3.2 Laws of BC with potential to protect habitat within SMC Central Group range
    • 3.2.1 Parks and Protected Areas System
    • 3.2.2 Ecological Reserves
    • 3.2.3 Provincial Parks - Class A
    • 3.2.4 Protected Areas
    • 3.2.5 Wildlife Habitat Areas and Ungulate Winter Ranges (under FRPA)
    • 3.2.6 Wildlife Habitat Areas and Ungulate Winter Ranges (under OGAA)
    • 3.2.7 Old-growth Management Areas (OGMAs)(under FRPA or the Land Act)
    • 3.2.8 Old-growth Management Areas (OGMAs)(under OGAA)
    • 3.2.9 Forest and Range Practices Act FPPR Section 7 and WLPPR Section 9 notices
    • 3.2.10 Resource Review Areas
    • 3.2.11 Petroleum and Natural Gas Act s.72 Withdrawal Orders
    • 3.2.12 Land Act Reserves and Withdrawals
    • 3.2.13 Mineral Tenure Act Mineral No Registration Reserves
    • 3.2.14 Coal Act Coal Land Reserves
    • 3.2.15 Wildlife Act Motor Vehicle Prohibition and Public Access Prohibition
    • 3.2.16 Projects subject to the B.C. Environmental Assessment Act
  • 3.3 Laws of BC that are in place to protect individuals
• 4. Analysis of legislation instruments
  • 4.1 Spatially-explicit legislative instruments – any group activities
  • 4.2 Spatially-explicit legislative instruments – some groups of activities
  • 4.3 Discretion within Legislative Instruments
• 5. Preliminary Review of Risks
  • 5.1 Preliminary review of risk factors that could impact the likelihood that critical habitat destruction will occur
    • 5.1.1 Mining
    • 5.1.2 Oil and Gas
    • 5.1.3 GAR orders esta Forestry
    • 5.1.4 Wind Energy
    • 5.1.5 Recreation
    • 5.1.6 Other
    • 5.1.7 Summary of Existing Tenures within the Central Group LPU area
• 6. Anticipated Next Steps
• 7. References
• Annex 1. History of Application – Authorizations issued after establishment of legislative instruments
• Annex 2. Key maps for high elevation data

List of figures

• Figure 1. Draft ECCC Critical Habitat Destruction Flowchart

List of maps

• Map 1. Groups and Local Population Units of Woodland Caribou, Southern Mountain population (from Environment Canada 2014).
• Map 2. BC’s Caribou Habitat Mapping for the Central Group
• Map 3. Disturbance in non-high elevation areas – Narraway LPU
• Map 4. Disturbance in non-high elevation areas – Quintette LPU
• Map 5. Disturbance in non-high elevation areas – Pine River LPU
• Map 6. Ecological reserves, parks and protected areas with the Central Group
• Map 7. Wildlife habitat areas and ungulate winter ranges established under FRPA for caribou within the Central Group area
• Map 8. OGAA UWRs and WHAs for caribou in the Central Group
• Map 9. Spatially-explicit OGMAs relevant to the Central Group in BCs
• Map 10. Resource Review Areas within the Central Group LPU boundaries
• Map 11. Land Act section 15, 16 and 17 reserves within the Central Group LPU boundaries
• Map 12. Mineral or mineral, coal and placer no registration reserves within the Central Group LPU boundaries
• Map 13. MVPR closure areas (for snowmobiles) within the Central Group LPU boundaries
• Map 14. Overlapping Legislative Instruments Within the Central Group
• Map 15. Legislative instruments and coal mining tenures in the Central Group
• Map 16. Legislative instruments and mineral tenures in the Central Group
• Map 17. Legislative instruments and placer tenures in the Central Group
• Map 18. Legislative instruments and oil and gas development in the Central Group
• Map 19. Legislative instruments and forestry activities in the Central Group
• Map 20. Timber Harvesting Land Base for the Central Group
• Map 21. Clean energy (wind power) potential in the Central Group
• Map 22. Legislative instruments and Land Act tenures for clean energy in the Central Group
• Map 23. Legislative instruments and Land Act tenures for recreation in the Central Group
• Map 24. Legislative instruments and Land Act tenures for other purposes in the Central Group
• Annex 2 Map A1. High elevation habitat used in BC’s maps
• Annex 2 Map A2. High elevation habitat used in ECCC disturbance mapping

List of tables

• Table 1. Population size and trend information for southern mountain caribou subpopulations in Canada (BC and Alberta (AB).
• Table 2. Direct financial investment from 2006 to 2016
• Table 3. Summary of Critical Habitat Categories and Disturbance Thresholds from the federal recovery strategy
• Table 4. Disturbance in non-high elevation areas within Central Group LPUs
• Table 5. Provincial legislative instruments that could be relevant to habitat protection for the Central Group of southern mountain caribou in BC
• Table 6. Summary of FPPR Section 7 and WLPPR Section 9 notices still in effect for northern caribou in forest districts that overlap with Central Group LPU boundaries.
• Table 7. Authorizations issued under the Land Act within Land Act reserves with a purpose of “Environment, Conservation, and Recreation” since the reserves were established.
• Table 8. Summary of Projects for which certificates have been issued within the Central Group LPU boundaries.
• Table 9. Area covered by Legislative Instruments within Central Group LPUs.
• Table 10. Areas within the Central Group LPU boundaries that are not covered by legislative instruments associated with activity groupings.
• Table 11. BC’s legislative instruments compared against activities
• Table 12. Summary of Existing Tenures within the Central Group LPU area
• Annex Table 1. Types of authorizations and tenures included in analysis.
• Annex Table 2. Mining-related authorizations issued after legislative instruments (LI) were established. Bold text indicates that authorizations were issued for an activity that the instrument would have been expected to constrain, so potentially reflect the exercise of discretion. Regular text indicates that the LI would not be expected to constrain the related activity, so reflect the potential for other activities to be authorized when legislative instruments do not overlap.
• Annex Table 3. Forest Harvesting and Oil and Gas-related authorizations issued after legislative instruments (LI) were established. Bold text indicates that authorizations were issued for an activity that the instrument would have been expected to constrain, so potentially reflect the exercise of discretion. Regular text indicates that the LI would not be expected to constrain the related activity, so reflect the potential for other activities to be authorized when legislative instruments do not overlap.
• Annex Table 4. Commercial recreation, renewable energy, and other Land Act authorizations issued after legislative instruments (LI) were established. Bold text indicates that authorizations were issued for an activity that the instrument would have been expected to constrain, so potentially reflect the exercise of discretion. Regular text indicates that the LI would not be expected to constrain the related activity, so reflect the potential for other activities to be authorized when legislative instruments do not overlap.