Grosmont Linear Disturbance Restoration

One type of land conservation strategy is the revegetation of legacy disturbances (e.g. cut lines, seismic lines) that have not re-grown on their own and are within caribou habitat. Shell conducted planning and modelling work (using the LEAP: Landscape Ecological Assessment and Planning framework) in 2013 in preparation for planting ~30 linear km of black spruce in winter 2014. This project was intended to aid Shell’s near-term conservation goals and move closer to their long-term goal of Net Neutral Land Disturbance while also mitigating potential impacts to caribou habitat. In an example of collaboration and transfer of knowledge from other oil sands companies, they used Nexen’s Algar project’s method of using a low ground pressure track hoe to create mounds of soil in muskeg areas to allow planting and establishment of black spruce and other shrub species.

During winter 2014 operations over 15,000 trees were planted and over 30 km of linear footprint treated. Treatment activities primarily occurred in bog and poor fen ecosites. The ~19 ha of linear features treated is estimated to increase the intact area of caribou habitat by over 460 ha. For the ongoing monitoring and research integral to the LEAP approach, GPS data, vegetation, coarse woody material information, line of site photos and 360 degree panoramic photos were captured for 20 monitoring plots. They will be revisited at regular intervals and the same measurement and photo procedures will be used. Lessons learned from the project to date are listed in detail in the project report.