2007 Annual Report - Institute for Environmental Monitoring and ...

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P a g e 8 I n s t i t u t e f o r E n v i r o n m e n t a l M o n i t o r i n g a n d R e s e a r c h 2 0 0 7 A n n u a l R e p o r tInstitutePoliciesRESEARCH PRIORITIESThe Board of Directors is responsible for setting theresearch priorities for the Institute and ensures thatthe relevant criteria and policies are followed insoliciting contractors and awarding funding forresearch.In 2006, in keeping with the principles ofaccountability established by the federal government,a call for Statements of Interest was conducted toidentify companies interested in contractual workassociated with the Institute’s research agenda.To be eligible for consideration, companies had todemonstrate a proven track record associated withthe monitoring of noise disturbance on wildlife,provide proof of environmental liability insuranceand be bondable. In 2007, pre-qualified contractorswere given an opportunity to submit proposals toconduct research for the Institute.MEMORANDA OFUNDERSTANDINGThe Institute has Memoranda of Understanding withthe Department of National Defence, the Innu Nation,the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach, thegovernment of Newfoundland and Labrador, thegovernment of Quebec, and the Labrador InuitAssociation. These allow the Institute access to datasets in the possession of these organizations whilerecognizing their ownership of the information.Berries on NWR RoadQuébec and Labrador communities andthe low-level training areaResearchActivitiesThroughout 2007 the research agenda for theInstitute was conducted on a contractual basis withcontinued support from DND, Aboriginal Nations andthe governments of Quebec and Newfoundland andLabrador. Contractors worked closely with the SRCto ensure the completion of several reports and thecontinuation of some multi-year studies.With limited military training in 2007, the Institutehas focused its monitoring and research initiativeson collecting basic ecological data on species whichcould be vulnerable to noise disturbance from highlevel military training. Considerable attention hasbeen allocated to the development of the BoomCastModel. Once validated, this predictive model willserve as an important tool in assessing noiseprojection from military training activities includingsupersonic and night training initiatives.In 2008, the Institute will define the monitoringprotocols for the VECs which have been identified aspotential candidates for noise disturbance from theseproposed new training options.
EnvironmentalMonitoring and ResearchWOODLAND CARIBOUWoodland caribou in Labrador and Quebec are listedas threatened under the SARA. This includes the RedWine Mountains Caribou Herd, the Lac JosephCaribou Herd, and caribou found in the Joir Riverarea of southern Labrador. The SRC have identifiedissues of concern with the distribution of woodlandcaribou in the southern boundaries of the trainingarea associated with training block CYA 733.In 2007 under a service agreement with the Institute,the Wildlife Division of the government ofNewfoundland and Labrador undertook populationsurveys/censuses of the sedentary Lac Joseph, RedWine, and Joir River caribou. The results, outlinedin reports filed with the Institute, focused on theproductivity and classification as well as the spatialand temporal distribution of woodland animals.In anticipation of proposed new training initiatives,the SRC and Caribou Technical Committeedetermined that over time any new collardeployments or replacements associated withwoodland caribou be GPS-satellite hybrid collars, asfine-scale GPS (global positional system) locationscan provide precise, remote, and nearly real-timecaribou locations. In 2007, the Institute purchased23 of these new collars and plans are underway tohave these deployed during the 2008 field season.The data obtained from these collars will enablethe Institute to assess the movements of woodlandcaribou within the southern portion of the trainingarea and will be used to assist 5 Wing Goose Bay todetermine appropriate mitigation measures.Happy ReunionStatus:• In 2008 any new collar deployment orreplacements on woodland caribou will be withGPS-satellite hybrid collars.Red Wine Mountains Caribou Herd(RWMCH)Presently there are fourteen VHF (very highfrequency) collars and four satellite collars deployedon the RWMCH. Due to the high cost of aerialsurveys, the government of Newfoundland andLabrador, in partnership with the Institute, haveagreed to replace all of the VHF collars withTelonics GPS-satellite hybrid models in 2008. Thesenew collars will provide a much greater accuracy fordetermining caribou locations on a regular four dayreporting cycle. In the event of the introduction ofnew training initiatives, they could be programmedfor more frequent transmissions.Status:• In 2007 the government of Newfoundland andLabrador conducted a survey of the RWMCH toreview the status of the existing VHF collars.• The Institute, in collaboration with thegovernment of Newfoundland and Labrador, hasagreed to replace the existing VHF collars withGPS-satellite hybrid collars. These new collars willbe deployed during the winter of 2008.• The government of Newfoundland and Labrador, incollaboration with the Institute, will conduct asecond late winter classification of the RWMCHearly in 2008.• The SRC will review the results from the fieldstudies and provide guidance to the Institute Boardfor future monitoring initiatives on the RWMCH.Joir River Caribou (JRC)There are currently eight satellite collars and fourGPS-satellite hybrid collars deployed on the JRC.The government of Newfoundland and Labrador, inpartnership with the Institute, conducted adensity distribution and classification of theseanimals in 2007. During these surveys, twocollars were replaced with GPS-satellite hybridcollars. The movements of these animals willcontinue to be examined to determine if they are infact part of a recognized herd or a separatepopulation. Early work indicates that they may beinteracting with members of the Mealy MountainCaribou Herd (MMCH) at certain times of the year.Current work conducted on the MMCH by thegovernment of Newfoundland and Labrador providesa unique opportunity to compare the dynamics andmovements of these two groups of caribou.2 0 0 7 A n n u a l R e p o r t I n s t i t u t e f o r E n v i r o n m e n t a l M o n i t o r i n g a n d R e s e a r c h P a g e 9
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