NB Power Field Report. The Fundy Isles Project

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Easter Fleming
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1 NB Power Field Report Completed by: Austin Paul Report covering July 23 rd - August 10 th, 2018 The Fundy Isles Project Project Background The Fundy Isles Project involves the replacement of existing sub-sea transmission cables in the Quoddy region. The sub-sea cables provide power to both Campobello and Grand Manan. During the week of July 23 rd, a vegetation and rare plant survey was carried out by Stantec Consulting with participation from an NB Power First Nations Field Monitor. The plant surveys were conducted on the landfall sites associated with the sub-sea cable. Date: July 23 rd -26 th, 2018 Activities Conducted A total of 4 landfall sites were surveyed: Chocolate Cove (Deer Island), Wilson s Beach (Campobello), Little Whale Cove (Campobello) and Long Eddy Point (Grand Manan). A 2-person crew would traverse the landform features identifying, recording and photographing all of the plant species present. A small number of plants that could not be identified in the field were taken as samples for later identification. Plant species that were identified in the field are organized by site and are as follows: Chocolate Cove, Deer Island Pineapple weed, lupine, Canada (creeping) thistle, common cudweed, rabbit s foot clover, St. John s wort, oxeye daisy, plantain, rough goldenrod, grass-leafed goldenrod, horseweed, quack grass, dandelion, fall dandelion, Canada goldenrod, redtop, five-fingers, Canada bluegrass, dock, fireweed, burdock, yellow hop clover, yarrow, panic grass, white meadowsweet, tickle grass, hawkweed, red fescue, raspberry, flea bane, lady fern, clammy groundsel, common horsetail, foxtail grass, cow vetch, fox glove, Kentucky bluegrass, common cinquefoil, timothy, silverrod, poverty grass, red spruce, white spruce, green alder, service berry, yellow birch, New York aster, hair grass, witch grass, sedge, woodrush, trembling aspen, bunchberry, elderberry and hemp nettle. Wilson s Beach, Campobello Island

2 Virginia rose, timothy, green alder, white spruce, mountain ash, pin cherry, hard hack, raspberry, black knapweed, cudweed, fall dandelion, crab apple, New York aster, silverrod, Norway Maple, Canada bluegrass, low-bush blueberry, shad bush, trembling aspen, hair grass, fox berry, wood rush, white birch, starflower, bunchberry, Indian pipe, choke cherry, grass-leafed goldenrod, rough goldenrod, ground juniper, foxtail, balsam fir, lesser burdock, evening primrose, common vetch, wild sarsaparilla, yarrow, St. John s wort and Kalm s hawkweed. Little Whale Cove, Campobello Island Grass-leafed goldenrod, St. John s wort, hawkweed, hemp nettle, skunk current, violet, timothy, rough goldenrod, elderberry, pin cherry, pussy willow, pearly everlasting, mountain ash, evening primrose, sensitive fern, blue joint grass, lady fern, clammy groundsel, meadow rue, dwarf red raspberry, sedge, striped maple, mountain maple, black knapweed, raspberry, goldenrod, white birch, balsam fir, white spruce, green alder, five fingers, fireweed, hard hack, red fescue, strawberry, plantain, yellow hop clover, white clover, New York aster, Canada bluegrass, pineapple weed, dandelion, fall dandelion and oxeye daisy. Long Eddy Point, Grand Manan Island Skunk current, goose berry, beach pea, oxeye daisy, horseweed, clammy groundsel, mullein, colt s foot, goldenrod, evening primrose, Virginia rose, elderberry, chokecherry, mountain ash, white birch, green alder, sow thistle, crown vetch, ground juniper, clover, red fescue, hair fescue, Canada bluegrass, pussy willow, St. John s wort, Indian pear, calico aster, viper s-bugloss, English plantain, poverty grass, quack grass, northern fly honeysuckle, cow parsnip, gooseberry, five fingers, sensitive fern, willow herb, curly dock and common jewelweed. Interests and Potential Concerns from a First Nations Perspective The following species present in the PDA were flagged as significant to First Nations Peoples: Jewelweed- Small clusters identified in Long Eddy Point, Grand Manan. Cow Parsnip- Two plants were identified in Long Eddy Point, Grand Manan. Juniper- A healthy population of ground juniper was identified on Wilson s Beach, Campobello Island. A juvenile bald eagle was found in an advanced state of decomposition near the Wilson s beach substation. The cause of death was difficult to determine in light of the state of preservation. DNR was informed of the remains and indicated that eagles are no longer on the species of concern list, as such no further actions were required. If the bird was in better condition, it would be collected, frozen and studied in the lab, but due to the advanced state of decomposition, there was little that could be done.

3 Photographs Above: Common jewelweed- Long Eddy Point

4 Above: Cow parsnip: Long Eddy Point Above: Two species of juniper- Wilson s Beach

5 Above: Bald eagle remains near Wilson s beach. Rainsford Lane Transmission Line Expansion August 7 th, 2018 Activities Conducted On August 7 th, vegetation and rare plant surveys were carried out by Stantec Consulting with participation with an NB Power First Nations Field Monitor. The survey began at the Mactaquac Generating Station and continued along the top of Keswick Ridge. The study area is depicted in the photo section of this report. Species identified within the project corridor: cinquefoil, heal-all, mouse-ear chickweed, orange hawkweed, viola, plantain, cudweed, white clover, bulrush, smartweed, eyebright, American water

6 horehound, creeping bent-grass, yarrow, crown vetch, yellow hop-clover, rabbit s foot clover, pineapple weed, crab grass, spotted knap weed, silver cinque-foil, wild carrot, timothy, tansy, golden Alexander, gallium, box elder maple, giant goldenrod, red top, Bromus Inermis, reed canary grass, anemone, Bebb s willow, grass-leaved goldenrod, Canada blue-grass, Kentucky blue-grass, St. John s wort, quack grass, balsam poplar, raspberry, cleavers, smooth rose, burdock, mullein, northern poison ivy, hawthorn, sumac, witch-grass, elm, choke cherry, chicory, milkweed, cirsium, white sweet-clover, bird s foot trefoil, knotweed, field horsetail, wild mustard, dock, bull-thistle, fleabane, Canada goldenrod, begger s tick, toad rush, speckled alder, purple loosestrife, avens, black-eyed Susan, green alder, trembling aspen, pearly everlasting, Manitoba maple, white spruce, white birch, large-toothed aspen, red oak, basswood, hornbeam, crab apple, sugar maple, butternut, white ash, Jack in the pulpit, rhodiola rosea, veiny meadow rue, sensitive fern, black raspberry, bristly buttercup, blood-root, white (false) hellebore, lady fern, beech, yellow birch, hemlock, shin leaf, doll s eyes, starflower, balsam fir, black ash, red baneberry, oak-fern, Christmas fern, cat-tail, interrupted fern, Canada hawkweed, common duck-weed, cottongrass bulrush, hardhack, sedge, creeping raspberry, blue skull cap, black cherry, hemp nettle, alternative-leafed dogwood, enchanter s nightshade, white pine, large-leafed aster, colt s foot, fireweed, pin cherry, clammy groundsel and blue-eyed grass. Interests and Potential Concerns from a First Nations Perspective Of the plants identified in the field, the following were flagged as significant to First Nations Peoples: cleavers, bloodroot, basswood, sugar maple, butternut and black ash. A handful of young butternut trees were identified in the proposed project footprint as well as one massive butternut exhibiting a significant amount of rot in the trunk. The smaller butternut trees in this location may not be ideal for craft purposes, although some wood may be salvageable from the massive tree. Basswood is sparsely distributed along the ridge and some are of significant size as are the maple trees present. The black ash that was encountered was a small-sized tree that was not terribly straight. Cleavers and bloodroot occur in discrete patches throughout the forested section of the project corridor. Photographs See next page

7 Above: A Google Earth image depicting the overall study area discussed in this report. Above: Bloodroot (not yet flowering)

8 Above: A very large butternut tree. Above: A typical basswood tree on the Keswick Ridge.

9 Mactaquac Project (Mactaquac Aquatic Ecosystem Study) Vegetation and Rare Plant Survey August 9 th 10 th, 2018 Activities Conducted As part of the on-going Mactaquac Aquatic Ecosystem Study, a vegetation and rare plant survey was carried out along the shoreline at the foot of the Keswick Ridge. Ten study corridors (50 meter spacing) were surveyed during the 2017 field season; the same locations were analyzed during the 2018 field study. The work was carried out by 2 Stantec employees and an NB Power First Nations Field Monitor. Pertinent Tasks The team would traverse the shoreline until the study corridor was reached. The previous testing areas were marked with flagging tape pinned to the ground with large steel spikes. For each of the 10 study corridors, 3 sampling areas were assessed: one at the foot of the slope, one in the grassy section and one on the shoreline. Each sampling area measured one square meter. Any species that could not be determined in the field was taken back to the lab for analysis. Species Present in the Study area Indian hemp, begger s tick, mint, mullein, fireweed, blue vervain, timothy, dwarf snap-dragon, evening primrose, Canada thistle, cow vetch, white sweet-clover, clammy groundsel, boneset, speckled alder, blackberry, sedge, hog peanut, broad leaved spartina, Joe Pye weed, phalaris, gallium, horsetail, St. John s wort, Rugel s plantain, prairie cordgrass, river grape, burnet-saxifrage, Canada anemone, purple loosestrife, fringed loosestrife, horehound, hair-grass, smart-weed, water parsnip, aster, grass-leaved goldenrod, Calamagrostis, moss, white ash, sweet gale, iris versicolor, reed canary-grass, Interests and Potential Concerns from a First Nations Perspective The following plants that were identified in the study area were flagged as significant to First Nations Peoples: Indian hemp- common along the beaches flanking the base of the Keswick Ridge. Boneset- also common along the beaches flanking the base of the Keswick Ridge. Photographs

10 Above: A 1 square meter study area. Above: Boneset

11 Mussel Studies August 1 st -3 rd 2018 Activities Conducted Staff from the Canadian Rivers Institute (CRI) have been carrying out mussel studies along the Wolastoq River throughout the Mactaquac Aquatic Ecosystem Study with the goal of establishing mussel distribution throughout the river. Mussels filter water, therefore are great indicators of the general health of a river. A team of 3 CRI staff and an NB Power First Nations Field Monitor carried out surveys in various locations in the Fredericton area. Pertinent Tasks The team travelled via watercraft to the assigned study areas. Using chest waiters or a wetsuit, team members would wade through the water for 15 minutes attempting to identify concentrations of fresh water mussels. Four posts were driven into the river substrate to delineate a 10 meter square study area. One team member would carefully sift through the sand and silt to acquire mussel specimens. Back onshore the other team members would organize the mussels by species prior to counting. Some larger mussels were taken back to the lab for dissection, however, most were returned to their natural habitat. Interests and Potential Concerns from a First Nations Perspective The work is relatively non-invasive and no concerns were identified. A rare species of mussel was identified near the mouth of the Nashwaak River: the Yellow Lamp-Mussel. This species is listed as of special concern and only occurs in 2 watersheds in Canada: the Wolastoq and the Sydney River. Photographs See next page.

12 Above: CRI staff counting mussels by species. Above: The study area near the boat launch on the Thatch Road.

13 Above: The study area near the mouth of the Nashwaak River. Above: The Yellow Lamp Mussel.

Wisconsin Wildflowers in 3D

Note to viewers The flower pictures in this book are designed to be viewed through red/cyan (blue) 3D glasses. With the glasses they are sharp and clear. Wisconsin Wildflowers in 3D TM David Tank Planert