Revised Final Environmental Study Report (24 MB) - Gold Canyon ...

Gold Canyon Resources Inc: Final Environmental Study Report Review
March 30, 2013
Recommendation: GCU in conjunction with Stakeholders, First Nation communities and
the OMNR needs to undertake a thorough environmental assessment of small mammals
within the regional project study area, utilizing areas relevant to the eastern corridor.
5.3.3 Bird Survey Deficiencies
The avian study outlines how fieldwork and preliminary desktop studies were conducted.
The fieldwork consisted of a breeding bird survey (BBS) and a whip-poor-will survey
(WPWS).
For the BBS and WPWS, there are a number of research methodology deficiencies
identified. Common to both studies, there is no indication within the Terrestrial Baseline
Study Technical Report of the actual study area dimensions used and justification for their
selection, aside from what is depicted on the map provided (Figure 3.3: Point Count and
Song Meter Locations in the Springpole Study Area (2011)). GCU has indicated that survey
sites were randomly selected, however the bulk of the BBS and WPWS seem to fall in the
exact same region as all the other terrestrial baseline studies, thereby negating
randomness.
Background research for the bird surveys was conducted using desktop analysis of the
Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) and Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (OBBA)
specific for Big Trout Lake. NHIC information was only up to date until 1999 and the OBBA
information was current up to 2005 and for Big Trout Lake and overlapped with 15WS48,
15WS49, 15WS58, and 15WS59 of the Springpole “regional study area”. The map
provided by GCU for the bird surveys did not indicate where 15WS48, 15WS49,
15WS58, and 15WS59 were located on the map. The technical report clearly states
that there was no information available from that source for locations 15WS48,
15WS49, 15WS58, and 15WS59:
“The Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (OBBA) had no records of any point counts being
conducted in the study area (squares 15WS48, 15WS49, 15WS58, and 15WS59) and as
such, there were no associated bird observations (Terrestrial Baseline Report 2011,
page 3-6).”
In essence, the desktop research used to corroborate the fieldwork findings are incomplete
and not relevant for the study in questionable, and cannot be used as a reputable source
from which to draw conclusions about bird populations in the area. It was not discussed
within the “Background Research” portion of the technical report (where the NHIC and
OBBA were referenced) that the desktop analysis was out of date, and not specific for the
area in question.
Example of how outdated and misleading the NHIC and OBBA information is: “Bald eagles
have been reported to the NHIC as having been in the area 4 times between 1990 and 1999
(Draft Springpole Terrestrial Baseline Report 2011, page 3-4).” Not only is the reference
outdated by14 years, bald eagles are common in the Birch Lake and Springpole areas.
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