Terms of Reference

Science Advice on Westslope Cutthroat Trout Critical Habitat Destruction and Jeopardy – Grassy Mountain Coal Project

Regional Science Response Process – Ontario and Prairie Region

October 22, 2020
Virtual Meeting

Chairperson: Joclyn Paulic

Context

The Grassy Mountain Coal Project (the Project) is being proposed by Benga Mining Limited (Benga) and is currently undergoing an Environmental Assessment led by a Joint Review Panel. The Project is located along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountain foothills, approximately 200 km south of Calgary, AB, in the watersheds of Blairmore Creek (50 km²) and Gold Creek (63 km²) which are major drainages in the Crowsnest River watershed. The Gold Creek watershed contains watercourses identified as Critical Habitat (CH) for 99% genetically-pure Westslope Cutthroat Trout (WSCT; Saskatchewan-Nelson River designatable unit), which are listed as Threatened under the Species at Risk Act (DFO 2019). In addition, DFO (2019) identifies watercourses that contain near-pure WSCT populations (95-99%), which are considered areas of high potential to support the recovery of pure populations (i.e., Blairmore Creek watershed).

Benga’s Environmental Assessment has projected ecological impacts on pure and near-pure WSCT and its CH, and proposes preliminary mitigation and offsetting options. DFO will be presenting their technical analysis of the Proponents Environmental Impact Statement at the Joint Review Panel hearing for the Environmental Assessment of the Project. DFO Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (FFHPP) and Species at Risk Program (SARP) are concerned that destruction of CH in the Gold Creek watershed will compromise the survival and recovery of the WSCT population. DFO requires robust scientific evidence in order to authorize the destruction of CH. FFHPP and SARP are requesting DFO Science to determine if the proposed Project will jeopardize the survival and recovery of WSCT, including the consideration of mitigation measures and offsetting.

Objectives

Based on the effects assessment provided by the Proponent, the objectives of this review are to determine:

1. if there is sufficient information available to assess whether the proposed CH destruction or harmful alteration in Gold Creek would jeopardize the survival and recovery of a) the Gold Creek WSCT population, and b) the potential survival or recovery of a near-pure population and/or potential re-establishment of a pure population in Blairmore Creek as per the recovery objectives in the DFO Recovery Strategy and Action Plan (DFO 2019);
2. if there are gaps in the proposed monitoring plans to ensure mitigation measures are effective and offsetting is functioning and effective, and if so, how can these gaps be addressed; and,
3. if the proposed draft monitoring plan is sufficient to demonstrate that the offsetting would meet its objective, as well as whether there is any supporting scientific information that demonstrates that offsetting for CH has been effective previously, and if so, whether those conditions met with the current proposed offsetting plan (e.g., scope and scale) would effectively replace the lost habitat and populations.

Expected Publication

• Science Response

Expected Participation

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (Science and Aquatic Ecosystem sectors)
• Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP)

References

COSEWIC. 2016. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Westslope Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi, Saskatchewan-Nelson River populations and Pacific populations, in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. xvi + 83 p.

DFO. 2019. Westslope Cutthroat Trout: recovery strategy and action plan, 2019 (proposed). Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Ottawa. vii + 60 pp + Part 2