Whooping Crane in Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada: Description of critical habitat

Parks Canada Agency

Species at Risk Act

Description of critical habitat of the Whooping Crane in Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada

The Whooping Crane (Grus americana) is a migratory bird protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 and is listed on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act as an endangered species. In Canada, the Whooping Crane breeds in and adjacent to Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada and winters in the United States. The Recovery Strategy for the Whooping Crane in Canada identifies critical habitat for the species within Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada.

Notice is hereby given that, pursuant to subsection 58(2) of the Species at Risk Act, critical habitat of the Whooping Crane in Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada is described as follows:

Boreal marsh complexes surrounded by a 100-metre riparian management zone in that portion of the northeast corner of Wood Buffalo National Park of Canada that consists of open patchy wetland complexes containing semi-permanent and permanent wetlands, within the Whooping Crane nesting area which is classified as a Zone 1 Special Preservation Area within the 1984 Wood Buffalo National Park Management Plan.

The Whooping Crane nesting area lies within the following boundaries:

PART A

Commencing at a point one mile west on Northwest Territories Highway No. 5 from the crossing of said highway across the Little Buffalo River and 180 m north of the edge of the cleared right-of-way of said highway; thence in a northwesterly direction parallel to said highway to a point 180 m east of the centre of the main channel of the Nyarling River; thence in a northeasterly direction parallel to the centre of the main channel of the Nyarling River to its intersection with a line drawn 180 m west of and parallel to the centre of the main channel of the Little Buffalo River; thence in a southeasterly direction parallel to and 180 m west of the centre of the main channel of the Little Buffalo River to the centre of the main channel of Seton Creek; thence in a southwesterly direction following the centre of the main channel of Seton Creek to a point due north of the commencement point; thence due south to the commencement point.

PART B

Commencing at a point due south of the most southeasterly corner of the Whooping Crane nesting area described in Part A and 180 m south of the edge of the cleared right-of-way of the Northwest Territory Highway No. 5; thence in a northwesterly direction parallel to the said highway to a point due north of the most northerly extension of Sass Lake and 180 m south of the cleared right-of-way of the said highway; thence due south to the most northerly extension of Sass Lake; thence in a southeasterly direction along the shore of Sass Lake to the most easterly extension of Sass Lake; thence in a southeasterly direction to a point 180 m north of the centre line of the tributary of the Little Buffalo River; thence in a northeasterly direction parallel to the centre line of the said tributary and 180 m north of the said centre line to a point 180 m west of the centre line of the Little Buffalo River; thence in a northwesterly direction parallel to the centre line of the Little Buffalo River and 180 m west to the commencement point.

November 7, 2008

ED COULTHARD
Field Unit Superintendent
Southwest Northwest Territories

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