From: on behalf of Panel Registry Subject: FW: TNG registration of ...

13
mortality as a result. I predict that some grizzly bears will be killed during the construction phase
and operation phase as a result of such habituation.
D. CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF INCREASED MOTORIZED BACKCOUNTRY
RECREATION IN GRIZZLY HABITAT RESULTING FROM IMPROVED PRIMARY
ROAD IMPROVEMENT & LARGE INFLUX OF MINE WORKERS
Another cumulative effect not identified by Taseko is the increase in backcountry motorized
recreation (ATV’s, snowmobiles) that will spin off from improved primary road access and a
large influx of mine workers and the effects this will have on grizzly bears and other wildlife.
As identified in my Xeni Gwet’in Proposed Access Management Plan (McCrory 2005), prior to
2003 mining and mining exploration activities in the upper Taseko watershed increased the
amount of roads in the XGCA by 45% of all primitive roads and 24% of all roads, opening up a
vast area of wilderness to motorized access. I also identified a significant increase in backcountry
motorized recreational access in the XGCA from Fish Lake mine workers as a major concern.
Backcountry use by ATVs and snowmobiles in the XGCA and surrounding areas is likely to
increase dramatically, whether it is hunting or recreation, is likely to increase dramatically,
leading to further disturbances to grizzly bears and illegal kills. Certainly the number of illegal
quad trails, already a growing problem, will also increase; particularly with recent cutbacks on
Ministry of Forests staff that monitor and regulate such things.
E. GLOBAL WARMING WILL CAUSE ECOSYSTEM STRESS, INCREASED
WILDFIRES AND A NET DIMINISHMENT OF GRIZZLY BEAR HABITAT VALUES
Another major shortcoming of Taseko’s EIS is it did not factor in climate changes that will result
in significant alterations to wildlife habitat composition and abundance over the next 30-50 years
and beyond. Instead they assume a static habitat situation, which won’t be the case at al.
The Xeni Gwet’in recently completed a draft climate change adaptation study (Lerner et al.
2010). I contributed a review of effects on wildlife, including habitat changes, a previous draft of
which has been submitted to the Panel. As a result of further input to myself from another
biologist, some changes have recently been made for my final text. For grizzly bears, it is
expected that some important habitats and food sources will decrease in abundance and
productivity including wild potatoes, whitebark pine, wetlands/riparian areas, and wild Pacific
salmon. Increased berry production from wildfires will offset some of the fall habitat and food
source losses for grizzly bears such as whitebark pine and salmon. Losses of other seasonal food
sources such as wild potato and green plants in wetlands are a major concern as these represent
specialized habitats that grizzly bears would use disproportionately to their low occurrence in the
ecosystem and represent a net loss of food resources, apart from the mine development. This is
particularly true of wetlands/riparian areas as well wild potatoes and other root/corm foods are
also only dug by grizzly bears where the soils are not compacted (McCrory and Herrero 1983).
Direct habitat losses from the mine and losses from displacement from the mine, road and
transmission line zone of influence will therefore be cumulative to habitat reductions caused by
global warming.
F. SUMMARY OF McCRORY WILDLIFE CUMULATIVE EFFECTS REVIEW ON
CHILCOTIN GRIZZLY BEARS
In the Journal of Animal Ecology, Bascompte and Sole (1996) refer to an “extinction threshold”.