Pierre River Mine Project

TERRESTRIAL AENV SIRS 44 – 78
References
Section 13.1
There is a lack of peer-reviewed literature specifically regarding recommended
buffer widths for wide-ranging wildlife species. However, findings from
monitoring programs that have been implemented in the Oil Sands Region
establish that wide-ranging wildlife species will use a 250 m-wide corridor.
Although not from a peer reviewed source, these findings are real, relevant to the
study area and important for evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed
corridor.
Winter track and remote camera corridor monitoring conducted for Shell’s
Jackpine Mine – Phase 1 have documented that moose, wolves, black bears,
fisher, marten, coyote and deer species were using habitat within existing
corridors along the Muskeg and Athabasca rivers adjacent to active mines
(Golder 2008). The setback distance along the Muskeg River varies from less
than 100 m to more than 3 km, whereas the Athabasca River buffer is less than
1 km.
Wildlife movements were monitored for three years along the east side of the
Athabasca River for Suncor’s Millennium and Steepbank Mine projects, where
the corridor width varies from about 1 km to less than 200 m. The results of these
surveys showed that all wildlife species, including large carnivores and large
ungulates, used the variable-width corridor (Golder 2000, 2001).
Wildlife corridor monitoring was conducted using remote cameras during nonwinter
months along the Athabasca and Steepbank rivers (Suncor 2004, 2005 and
2006). The Steepbank River buffer varies in size from 50 to 200 m, whereas the
Athabasca River buffer zone is less than 1 km. Species detected along the
Steepbank River escarpment included black bears and moose, while black bear,
white-tailed deer, coyote, wolf, beaver, fisher marten and fox were recorded in
the Athabasca River buffer zone.
Due to the lack of peer-reviewed literature regarding appropriate corridor widths
for larger wildlife species, it was determined that results from these studies were
the best-available information for supporting the use of a 250 m buffer along the
Athabasca River. Therefore, based on available corridor monitoring and wildlife
habitat data specific to this region, a 250 m buffer from the Athabasca River is
considered to be an effective width for maintaining landscape connectivity.
Beier, P. and R.F. Noss. 1998. Do habitat corridors provide connectivity?
Conservation Biology 12(6): 1241-1252.
Golder (Golder Associates Ltd.). 2000. Suncor Millennium and Steepbank Mine
Projects Wildlife Monitoring Program & Wildlife Assessment Update
2000. Submitted to Suncor Energy Inc., Oil Sands. Fort McMurray, AB.
32 pp. + Appendices.
Golder. 2001. Suncor Millennium and Steepbank Mine Projects Winter Wildlife
Track Count Surveys 2001: Year Three. Prepared for Suncor Energy Inc.
Fort McMurray, AB. 46 pp. + Appendices.
April 2010 Shell Canada Limited 13-59
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