EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development Project Joint Review Panel. Presentation by Dr. Branimir Gjetvaj

Transcription

1 EnCana Shallow Gas Infill Development Project Joint Review Panel Public hearing - Medicine Hat, 20. October 2008 Presentation by Dr. Branimir Gjetvaj Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Nature Saskatchewan

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3 Map source: WWF (2008): Suffield - Northern Stronghold of the Great Plains. World Wildlife Fund Canada, Toronto, Ont, and World Wildlife Fund US, Bozeman MT, 17pp

4 Map source: WWF (2008): Suffield - Northern Stronghold of the Great Plains. World Wildlife Fund Canada, Toronto, Ont, and World Wildlife Fund US, Bozeman MT, 17pp

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6 Map source: WWF (2008): Suffield - Northern Stronghold of the Great Plains. World Wildlife Fund Canada, Toronto, Ont, and World Wildlife Fund US, Bozeman MT, 17pp

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8 Species in Suffield Listed by Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) Species COSEWIC status SARA status Ord's Kangaroo Rat Endangered Schedule 1 Burrowing Owl Endangered Schedule 1 Tiny Cryptanthe Endangered Schedule 1 Small flowered Sand Verbena Endangered Schedule 1 Western Harvest Mouse Endangered Schedule 3 Gold-edged Gem Endangered Schedule 1 Lake Sturgeon Endangered Not Listed Smooth Goosefoot Threatened Proposed Sprague's Pipit Threatened Schedule 1 Loggerhead Shrike Threatened Schedule 1 Slender Mouse-Ear Cress Threatened Schedule 1 Common Nighthawk Threatened Not Listed McCown's Longspur Special Concern Schedule 1 Long billed Curlew Special Concern Schedule 1 Northern Leopard Frog Special Concern Schedule 1 Great Plains Toad Special Concern Schedule 1 Ferruginous Hawk Special Concern Schedule 3 Short eared Owl Special Concern Schedule 3 Source: WWF (2008): Suffield - Northern Stronghold of the Great Plains. 17pp

9 Known range of tiny cryptanthe in Canada (endangered). Source: Environment Canada Recovery Strategy for the Tiny Cryptanthe (Cryptantha minima) in Canada. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. vi + 24 pp.

10 Known distribution of gold-edged gem in Canada (endangered). Source: COSEWIC COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Gold-edged Gem Schinia avemensis in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vi + 26 pp.

11 Known distribution of great plains toad in Canada (special concern). Source: COSEWIC COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Great Plains toad Bufo cognatus in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. v + 46 pp.

12 Known distribution of Ord s kangaroo rat in Canada (endangered). Source: COSEWIC COSEWIC assessment and update status report on the Ord s kangaroo rat Dipodomys ordii in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vii + 34 pp

13 Grasslands are one of continent s most threatened ecosystems. Only 4% of the original prairie landscapes in Saskatchewan remain in native vegetation and in good ecological condition. about 1200 parcels of land, only 192 are larger than 1,000 ha. only one contiguous remaining prairie area is over 100,000 ha - the Great Sand Hills with 197,090 ha (1,900 km 2 ) of native prairie.

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22 In March of 2005 the Province of Saskatchewan established the Great Sand Hills Representative Area Ecological Reserve and protected 36,585 ha under the Ecological Reserves Act. Over 160,000 ha of sensitive habitat still remains vulnerable to high-impact industrial development (gas and oil).

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24 The Province commissioned a Regional Environmental Study to provide assessment of baseline information about important components of the environment, social, and economic elements in the Great Sand Hills. Final report was submitted to the Environment Minister in March of 2007, and was released to the public in mid July.

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40 The Suffield NWA was declared a National Wildlife Area for it s unique, environmentally significant landscapes. It is one of the few remaining large, relatively intact areas of native prairie left in North America. The Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement accompanying the designation states among other: This area will provide a secure habitat in which species can reproduce and repopulate surrounding prairie environs currently impacted by human development and population growth.

41 The Suffield NWA was declared a national wildlife area under the Wildlife Area Regulation (WAR) which were passed pursuant to the Canadian Wildlife Act. Section 3 of WAR provides that no person shall: damage, destroy or remove a plant carry on any commercial or industrial activity disturb or remove any soil, gravel or other material dump or deposit any rubbish, waste material or substance that would degrade or alter the quality of the environment

42 Section 4 of the Wildlife Area Regulation provides that the Minister can only issue a permit authorizing any of the above activities (in NWA) if he or she is satisfied that the activity will not interfere with the conservation of wildlife. Nature Saskatchewan and CPAWS Saskatchewan strongly believe that the proposed EnCana shallow gas infill development project will have a negative impact on habitat and wildlife resources in the Suffield NWA, and thus should not be approved.

43 Thank you