endangered mammals along Sfpr
For the first time since 1948, the endangered Southern Red-backed Vole has been found in B.C. This species has been found in three unprotected areas of Burns Bog right along the route of the South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR).
Seen on June 8, 2008 - Southwest edge of Bog
Concerns from the B.C. Ministry of Environment, Environmental Stewardship Division (August 21, 2007) are being ignored:
“The Southern Red-backed Vole, occidentalis subspecies is provincially red-listed and is a candidate for listing as Endangered or Threatened under the BC Wildlife Act. Five individuals of this red-listed sub-species have been captured at three locations…. Impacts from habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation will likely be significant given the sub-species’ limited range.”
Another Species at Risk, the Trowbridge’s Shrew, has also been found at one of the same locations right where a massive SFPR interchange is planned at 80 th Street and Progress Way.
The suitable habitat for these endangered mammals, as well as the Pacific Water Shrew is the unprotected areas on the periphery of Burns Bog and along the route of the SFPR in Surrey. According to the Burns Bog Ecosystem Review Synthesis Report, March, 2000, another thousand acres still need protection to preserve Burns Bog as a viable ecosystem. The B.C. Government is planning the SFPR right through the unprotected unique habitats that still require protection.
Sources of Information
Burns Bog Ecosystem Review: Small Mammals, December, 1999, Mark Fraker, Claudio Bianchini, and Ian Robertson, Robertson Environmental Services Ltd.
South Fraser Perimeter Road , Vegetation and Wildlife Impact Assessment, Technical Volume 12, Robertson Environmental Services Ltd. September 2006
Letter from B.C. Ministry of Environment, Environmental Stewardship to Environmental Assessment Office, Re: The South Fraser Perimeter Road Development Application, August 21, 2007.
Burns Bog Ecosystem Review Study: Status of Wildlife in Burns Bog, Delta – 1999, Martin Gebauer
