Published: 2005
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... The objectives of the field surveys were to document the current composition, distribution and abundance of bird populations (primarily waterbirds), and the locations of important bird habitat and staging areas, e.g., nesting colonies and staging sites, along the Mackenzie Valley pipeline corridor. The pipeline corridor extends south from the Inuvik area facility in the Gwich'in Settlement Area, Northwest Territories, to near Bootis Hill, Alberta. ... The results of these surveys were used to assess potential project impacts and develop mitigation plans associated with the proposed pipeline project. ... Bird surveys were conducted along the pipeline corridor during spring migration (mid-May to early June 2002) and the summer nesting period (mid to late June 2001). Survey effort focused primarily on aerial surveys for waterbirds, i.e., loons, grebes, geese, swans and ducks, and other large, conspicuous birds, i.e., hawks, eagles, falcons, jaegers, gulls, terns, owls, sandhill cranes and common ravens. Ground-based surveys were also used to ground-truth the results of the aerial surveys, and provide data on nesting passerines. Additional surveys are proposed as part of site-specific permitting applications. Bird surveys were conducted along the proposed pipeline corridor, along the Mackenzie River and in several areas near the pipeline corridor. South of Norman Wells, surveys of the proposed pipeline corridor followed the existing Enbridge Pipeline right-of-way. Four types of surveys were used to document bird populations along the pipeline corridor ...: spring aerial surveys, aerial transect surveys, ground-truthing surveys, point count surveys. The areas covered in the field-sampling program were delineated based on a project footprint that was then under preliminary design. Although some areas now deviate from the preferred route of the pipeline and the more recent placement of facilities, the habitat types and areas inhabited by birds are still relevant for the impact assessment presented in the filed EIS--Overview.