2. CONSULTATION
Mesgi’g Ugju’s’n Wind Energy Project
Agenda
1) Introduction - Tanya
2) The Mesgi’g Ugiu’s’n (MU) project - Terry Lynn/Troy
3) The Environmental Assessment (EA) Process - Mario
4) Preliminary Birds & Bats Survey Results - Mario
5) Participation of the MMS to the drafting of the EA - Tanya
6) Mi'gmaq Valued Ecosystem Components (draft) - Mario
7) Next Steps: Comments/Concerns/Questions - Tanya
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. What is an Environmental Impact
Assessment Study?
• Project justification and description
• Environment Description
(Physical Aspect, Biological Aspect, and Human Aspect)
• Impact Assessment (Methods & Results)
• Mitigation Measures
• Cumulative Effects
• Environmental Surveillance & Monitoring Program
8.
9. Preliminary results
Birds Bats
• 10 raptors species, low • 6 bats species detected: 3
numbers, no nest found resident, 3 migratory
• Roughly 40-45 songbirds • Little Brown Bat and
species observed during Northern long-eared Bat
spring and fall migrations are the most common but
and breeding season could not be distinguish
• Very few ducks and geese • 5 species at risk
• 3 species at risk, including • Low bat mortality due to
Bald Eagle collision with blades
10.
11.
12.
13. Participation in the drafting of the
Environmental Impacts Assessment
• The goal is to make sure that the knowledge of the Mi’gmaq people is
given full and equal consideration in the EIA.
• Incorporation of Mi’gmaq worldview and values to the EIA will be
realized following a 3-steps process :
1. having aboriginal people document their concerns, including the
reasons for such concerns, about the anticipated environmental, social,
and economic impacts of a proposed project;
2. mitigating these concerns to the satisfaction of both the aboriginal
people of the region and government regulations; and
3. designing specific programs to fully involve aboriginal people and
incorporate their knowledge into subsequent monitoring of VECs and
managing of impacts over the long term.
• The involvement of Mi’gmaq people and incorporation of their
knowledge into EIA begins when the communities affected by proposed
development identify what is important to them and why. In other
words, it starts with the identification of valued ecosystem components
(VECs) from a Mi’gmaq perspective.
14. Valued Ecosystem Components
• Salmon and trout and their habitat, i.e. watershed from the
head-water streams including the tributaries, springs, seeps,
streams and wetlands to the union with the sea
• Birds, namely Eagles as well as wildfowl and their habitat;
• Campsites and overnight sites;
• Furbearers such as beaver, fox, otter, mink and their
habitat;
• Medicinal, ceremonial and decorative plants and their
habitat, namely wetlands/swamplands;
• Moose and its habitat;
• Plants for food such as fiddleheads, wild berries and
hazelnuts and their habitat;
• Sacred areas, which include burial sites, ceremony and
spirit being sites;
• Rabbits and Partridge and their habitat;
15. NEXT STEPS
• Collecting input from community members,
concerns, questions and/or information pertaining
to the Mesgi’g Ugju’s’n wind turbine project.
• Review of Environmental Assessment and
participation in its drafting to make sure that the
knowledge of the community members is given
proper consideration alongside scientific and
engineering knowledge.
• Take any questions and concerns back to the
Promoter MMS/Innergex for their feedback by way
of a report.
• Hold another community information session if
necessary to deliver feedback to any questions and
concerns which may have been of addressed by
community members.
