NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Tags: environmental assessment, vegetation, land use planning, engineering, industrial development

Objective(s): This study is a field assessment which consists of targeted visits to selected sites, identified within the delineated barge landing sites and drilling target areas. Overland access routes will be visited, though these corridors have not been determined at this time. Information collected during the summer studies will be used in planning and determining appropriate locations for winter drilling activity components, including siting of drilling operations, advance barge staging areas and overland access routes to the drilling sites.

Project Description: This study is a field assessment which consists of targeted visits to selected sites, identified within the delineated barge landing sites and drilling target areas. Overland access routes will be visited, though these corridors have not been determined at this time. Information collected during the summer studies will be used in planning and determining appropriate locations for winter drilling activity components, including siting of drilling operations, advance barge staging areas and overland access routes to the drilling sites. Helicopter-supported field surveys will be conducted following a flight plan designed to visit selected sites identified by MGM, while minimizing flightlines to the extent possible. Occupants of the helicopter will include: one pilot; one MGM representative; one ecologist; one archaeologist; and one wildlife monitor. MGM representative, ecologists, archaeologists, pilots and wildlife monitors will be based out of Inuvik. Team members will mobilize daily from Inuvik. The vegetation assessment is scheduled to occur over 6 to 12 days in July/August, 2007, 2008 and/or 2009. The field assessment will consist of targeted visits to selected sites identified within the delineated barge landing sites and staked wellsites within the drilling target areas. Limited landing times for this component will last approximately 4 hours for each selected site. Selected sites identified during the earlier reconnaissance include: • one to three potential barge landing sites (Atik, North Ellice, Arvoknar) • potential wellsites within each of the nine drilling target areas (Atik, Aput, Southeast Ellice, West Olivier, West Langley, North Langley, South Langley, East Unipkat and Arvoknar) • potential overland access routes for the winter drilling project Each potential site will be assessed for valued vegetation components, such as the potential for: rare plants and vegetation communities. Assessment areas for selected sites are: • barge landing sites will be evaluated within 50 m of the proposed shoreline segment • proposed access route alignment will be assessed within a 50 m buffer for optimal placement • wellsite evaluations will include a 250 m radius site inspection Assessments will include photo documentation and visual observations to characterize each site for vegetation features. The vegetation assessment will focus on representative habitat for rare plants Traditional knowledge will be incorporated into the study program to the extent possible. The Inuvialuit Cultural Society will be consulted to obtain information on heritage sites and traditional land use. A wildlife monitor familiar with the assessment areas will accompany all field crews to provide traditional land use information. Permits to carry out the archaeological fieldwork and conduct the associated file search will be obtained from the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. Wildlife Research Permit will be obtained for the fieldwork associated with land animals and wildlife habitats. This component does not require access to KIBS. MGM is committed to advising the Tuktoyaktuk, Inuvik and Aklavik HTC before this work starts. Fieldwork will be conducted from July 27 to August 10, 2007 at the following project areas: West Langley (69º16’50”N, 135º49’48”W), East Unipkat (69º13’16”N, 135º19’56”W), Arvoknar (69º11’48”N, 135º31’44”W), North Langley (69º19’30”N, 135º40’55”W), SE Ellice (69º6’30”N, 135º49’32”W), Atik (68º58’23”N,135º32’32”W), West Olivier (69º11’8”N, 136º6’56”W), Aput (69º1’2”N, 135º41’58”W), South Langley(69º15’55”N, 135º31’28”W).