Monitoring bear habitats a key to environmental protection
At Coastal GasLink, protecting wildlife and wildlife habitat is part of our commitment to achieving the highest standards of environmental protection during construction, and for the life of the project.
Coastal GasLink’s Environmental Management Plan (EMP) includes the Wildlife and Wildlife Habitat Management Plan (WWHMP) and Grizzly Bear Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (GBMMP). Both of these associate plans outline mitigation measures to reduce potential disturbance to bears and bear dens.
“Coastal GasLink is a large and complicated project, therefore planning in advance and making sure we are aware of various species in general and how to protect them before construction starts is one of our goals,” Narges Boroujerdi, Senior Environmental Advisor, Coastal GasLink
Remote cameras installed across the project corridor record signs of activity, like this black bear who made an appearance.
In order to identify areas along the project footprint for bear denning habitat potential, several crews of qualified professionals, under the guidance of registered biologists, complete bear den surveys using aerial and ground-based survey methods. The aerial surveys are done using a helicopter, flying over the project route scanning out to 200 meters for signs of bear denning activities, such as bears and tracks. and digging.
Following the aerial survey, ground crews focus on surveying previously-identified potential bear dens. These ground surveys included crews of two to four qualified professionals walking and searching for evidence of bear denning activity such as tracks and digging and features that may provide suitable den sites, such as, large hollow trees, root masses, logs, stumps and rock cavities. Female bears can fold into a cavity where the entrance is only 30 centimeters across, so it takes very careful inspection of these areas.
At locations where a potential bear den was identified, the crews search the immediate area for other signs of recent activity (such as chat, fur and rubs) and install remote cameras to record any signs of bear activity. Infrared cameras allow our environmental teams to view a habitat without going into the den which protects the bear’s denning areas as well as our crews.
“You’re looking for a large predator in a small hole. With infrared, you can see them inside without entering the potential den. If we confirm the den is active, we monitor it during the season with remote cameras and can install a buffer around the den so the site personnel know the bear is present and avoid disturbing it,” said Sherry Nugent, Senior Environmental Advisor, Coastal GasLink.
Where an active bear den is discovered, mitigation measures are implemented, including stopping work immediately and maintaining a minimum 200-metre setback until the den is no longer active. Bear denning is seasonal and occurs in the winter months and they cannot be moved like we are able to do with other species such as amphibians, therefore large buffer areas are required. “Once a bear decides where they are denning, they are there. That can have impacts to construction and scheduling, such as clearing, as we cannot disturb them until the spring,” Nugent added.
Bear den surveys will continue to take place every year as we progress construction in British Columbia to ensure we are protecting wildlife and their habitat. “Completing bear den surveys puts my mind at ease. We are proactively minimizing interactions between construction and wildlife,” said Allison Grant, Senior Environmental Advisor, Coastal GasLink
Environmental responsibility means always doing the right thing. To help reduce our footprint, Coastal GasLink works hard to proactively identify and mitigate potential issues every day.