In January 2016, Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) hosted a two-day Wetlands Best Management Practices (BMP) Workshop. The workshop focused on collaborative engagement with participants to discuss planning and operating BMPs that could be adopted by regulators, industry, and other stakeholders to effectively manage Canadian boreal forest wetlands. Participants included industry, government, consultants, and not-for-profits. 

The purpose of this workshop was to:

1. Promote the sharing of information about effective planning and operating BMPs for working in and around boreal wetlands; and

2. Identify user preferences to help guide the creation of a boreal wetland BMP Information Management and Exchange System (IMES) to promote the sharing of information among stakeholders. 

Day 1 of the workshop focused on information management and exchange. It included presentations on how companies collect, manage, store, and share BMP information; demonstrations of IMES websites; and discussions about challenges and opportunities relating to the sharing of BMP information. 

Day 2 of the workshop provided opportunities for exchanging BMP information. It included government and industry keynote presentations; roads plenary presentations; a panel question-and-answer period with keynote and plenary speakers; and concurrent BMP presentations on a range of topics including pipelines, well pads, emerging technologies, and integrated land use planning. 

See the proceedings here.

The Bipole III Transmission Project is a 1,388 km high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission project traversing several ecozones.  The project starts at the Keewatinohk converter station near Gillam in northern Manitoba and ends at the Riel Converter Station in the RM of Springfield. On behalf of Manitoba Hydro, Wood Canada Ltd. developed and implemented a long-term Mammals Monitoring Program compliant with the project license conditions and approved Biophysical Monitoring Plan to monitor project effects during the construction (Jan 2015-June 2018) and early operation (July 2018-ongoing) phases.  Monitored mammal VECs include Woodland Caribou, Moose, Coastal and Barren-ground Caribou, White-tailed Deer, Elk, Gray Wolf, Black Bear, and Furbearer species.  The multi-year study design involves systematic monitoring conducted at multiple spatial and temporal scales and integration of rigorous systematic sampling methods using combinations of non-invasive genetic sampling/ genotyping, aerial surveys, satellite telemetry, trail camera studies, winter ground tracking, and harvest monitoring, depending on mammal VEC.  Caribou monitoring methods undertaken at the range scale include satellite telemetry in 4 woodland caribou local population ranges (n=20 collars/range and mortality investigations), systematic aerial surveys of ungulate-wolf occurrence and caribou herd composition.  Non-invasive genetic sampling (NGS) methods integrated with capture-recapture (CR) estimation and population modelling of state and vital rates for the 4 boreal caribou populations.