Amendment - Caribou Conservation Breeding and Augmentation Project in Jasper National Park – Public comments invited from July 27 to August 26, 2023  

July 27, 2023 – Parks Canada must decide whether the proposed project amendment to Caribou Conservation Breeding and Augmentation Project, located in Jasper National Park is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. Parks Canada will be assessing this project using a Detailed Impact Assessment.

To help inform this decision, Parks Canada is issuing this notice of intent to make a determination and inviting comments from the public on the project amendment's potential effects on the environment as the public consultation for this proposal. All comments received will be considered public. For more information on the public nature of your comments, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.

The final Detailed Impact Assessment report and Appendix A are available for download under "Key Documents" on the project page. To submit comments on the project amendment, please contact:

Jasper National Park
Box 10, Jasper, Alberta T0E 1E0
Telephone: 780-852-6141
Email: caribou@pc.gc.ca 

Comments must be submitted by August 26, 2023.

Project Summary: Parks Canada is proposing a 10- to 20-year caribou conservation breeding and augmentation project (the project) in Jasper National Park (JNP). The intent of the project is to recover caribou in its natural ranges in JNP. Southern mountain caribou is identified by the Government of Canada as a priority species for conservation action, based on their ecological, social and cultural value to Canadians and are listed as Threatened on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Caribou recovery is a priority for Parks Canada in the fulfillment of its mandate to maintain and restore the ecological integrity of JNP, and its commitment to recover species at risk. The project will occur in six (6) main phases, including: 1) Build - Breeding Facility Design, Construction & Operations; 2) Capture - Securing source caribou; 3) Breed - Animal husbandry and care; 4) Release - Augmentation of recipient herds; 5) Adapt - Research, Monitoring, and Adaptive Management; And 6) End - Decommissioning and Restoration.

Project Amendment: In 2019 Parks Canada proposed a 10- to 20-year Caribou Conservation Breeding and Augmentation project (the project) in Jasper National Park. A Detailed Impact Assessment was completed to assess the impacts of the project. Parks Canada issued a notice of determination under the Impact Assessment Act, indicating that the project was not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. Parks Canada is proposing an amendment to the 2022 Detailed Impact Assessment to include assessment of an underground powerline which will provide reliable power to the facility. The proposed powerline will replace 2,300m of existing cross-country single-phase overhead powerline with an underground service installed in the Wabasso Road (93A) ditch line between Wabasso Campground and the Cavell station house. The new underground alignment will continue within the Wabasso Road (93A) road allowance in the pre-disturbed ditch line for 12 kilometers to Geraldine Lake road and the caribou breeding facility. The construction footprint is expected to be 2 metres wide, including a 0.2m wide x 0.9m deep trench for placement of the conduit and will require minor vegetation brushing. Construction is anticipated for fall 2023.