Alarm response is defined as an
immediate movement by animals in reaction to an external stimulus, usually to safer locations.
Harass
includes worry, exhaust, fatigue, annoy, plague, pester, tease or torment, but does not include the
lawful hunting, trapping or capturing of wildlife (from the B.C. Wildlife Act).
Sensitive sites include habitats of rare and endangered
wildlife species, nesting and other breeding sites, rare plant communities and ecosystems that are
easily damaged and/or slow to recover from disturbances, including alpine meadows, grasslands and
moist-soil ecosystems such as
riparian areas and wetlands.
Ungulates are hoofed animals. Wildlife species include
deer, elk, moose, caribou, sheep and goats.
Management Plan refers to a CR management plan. It
includes draft management plans and final management plans and means a combination of text and maps that are components of a legal agreement between ILMB (for land tenure; MOE for water tenures) and
the tenure holder. It consists of descriptions of the specific nature of the CR operation,
including the boundaries within which the operation may occur, and the conditions, provisions,
restrictions and guidelines for use of Crown land for such an operation.
Tenure - the formal approval to occupy and use
Crown land for a specified purpose.
Link:
http://www.tca.gov.bc.ca/resort_development/how_process_works/how_tenure_works.htm
Qualified professional - Registered Forest Professional,
Registered Professional Biologist, Registered Professional Agrologist
Defaults–
Distances are included in desired behaviours as “defaults.” Defaults
are distances that, in the absence of other mitigating actions,
should be sufficient to prevent alarm responses by animals. These
distances are precautionary and are based on professional interpretation
of the scientific and management literature. The defaults may change
over time as more information becomes available.
The advantage of default distances is that they are easy to follow
and require no additional operational planning. The disadvantage
is that they are restrictive and might not be appropriate under
all circumstances. Defaults might be overly precautionary or, conversely,
insufficient to prevent alarm responses of animals. Operators are
expected to respect default approach distances unless an operational
strategy is in place. An operational strategy can be based on the
guidelines matrix, but should also consider site-specific considerations.
The strategy should include the following:
- Desired behaviours designed to achieve the same Results
(e.g., minimize physiological and behavioural changes
in animals);
- A monitoring plan to determine whether the alternative
desired behaviours are achieving Results;
- An adaptive management strategy to adjust behaviours
according to the outcomes observed by monitoring.
Operators should engage a qualified professional to help them develop
the operational strategy. |
