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

Gold Canyon Resources Inc.
Springpole Gold Project
Road Alternatives Assessment
GCU has taken known proposed road corridors into consideration while planning their access
corridor. The existing Wenasaga road was extended from the Monkman Road to the southeast
corner of Dead Dog Lake during the 2009 Forest Management Plan (FMP). This corridor is
expected to be progressively extended to the northeast corner of the Trout Lake Forest
(northeast of Springpole Lake) to allow access to caribou mosaic blocks. The 2009-2019 Trout
Lake FMP states that the extension of the Wenasaga road “is necessary to complete access of
the Caribou Mosaic Block A-8 and develop access into Block B-3. It is imperative that this road
be built in the 2009-2019 plan period to access wood in the far northeast corner of the license.”
The extension of the Wenasaga road north of Springpole Lake is also necessary in order to
allow for the construction of the North Polar Road, which will connect the Wenasaga road to the
Lac Seul Forest in the east. This will provide the only access to the northern portion of the Lac
Seul Forest and according to the Trout Lake FMP Supplementary Documentation 23, “…this is
the only access route available”.
Objectives
The overall objective of this report is to compare the biological factors surrounding the 2
identified alternative road corridors and highlight the potential constraints associated with each
alternative. This report will focus on a detailed desktop analysis of the natural environment of
the study area in conjunction with data gathered through field studies, in order to draw
conclusions regarding a preferred corridor alternative.
Methodology
An aerial investigation of both potential corridors was conducted on February 7 th and 8 th 2012, in
order to determine wildlife values, assess water crossings and to gain an understanding of the
overall scope of the potentially impacted area.
To properly characterize the natural environment of the study area for the alternatives
assessment, a number of data sources were consulted including; environmental baseline data
collected in 2011/2012, correspondence with Red Lake MNR, Natural Heritage Information
Center (NHIC), Species at Risk Ontario (SARO) database, Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas (OBBA),
MNR Natural Resources Values Information System, Trout Lake Forest Management Plan, and
digital Forest Resource Inventory (FRI) data for the Trout Lake forest. FRI data was not
available for the entire study area. Wildlife habitat modelling for selected species was completed
through the use of the Ontario Landscape Tool (OLT) for those portions of the study area that
had FRI data. The OLT uses Landscape Scripting Language, which is a proprietary tool for
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) developed by the MNR. The OLT relies on forest unit
information provided through digital FRI data, to develop prescriptive indicators such as conifer
age class distribution and landscape cover, as well as evaluative indicators of wildlife habitat
quality and distribution. These evaluative indicators include the spatial identification of wildlife
habitat for 7 focal wildlife species including; Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus), Moose
(Alces alces), Marten (Martes americana), Lynx (Lynx canadensis), Snowshoe Hare (Lepus
americanus), Fisher (Martes pennanti) and Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus), as
well as many species of songbirds.