Download B44-7 - Newyar Direct Evidence

WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF CHUCK NEWYAR
Q1.
Please state your name and describe your current position.
A1.
My name is Chuck Newyar. I am a Senior Environmental Planner and Wildlife Ecologist
with Ghostpine Environmental Services Ltd. ("Ghostpine"). A copy of my curriculum
vitae is attached to this evidence.
Q2.
What is the purpose of your appearance in this proceeding?
A2.
I will respond to questions regarding study areas used in the project's Environmental
and Socio-economic Assessment ("ESA"), as well as biophysical surveys and the project's
cumulative impact assessment.
Q3.
Does this complete your written evidence?
A3.
Yes.
CHUCK NEWYAR, B.SC., P.BIOL.
SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER / WILDLIFE ECOLOGIST
Mr. Newyar is a wildlife ecologist with 15 years of experience as a wildlife biologist, of which more than 11 years is
in the oil and gas industry. He has experience in pre-disturbance assessments, environmental and socio-economic
assessments, cumulative effects assessments, habitat suitability index modeling and habitat evaluation procedures. In
addition to his experience in Alberta and Northwest Territories, Mr. Newyar has worked internationally conducting
wildlife and invertebrate surveys in both India and Panama, and assisted with high-definition marine documentary
filming in Fiji. Specific technical expertise includes Species at Risk wildlife surveys, data analysis, and report
writing. Project experience includes wildlife surveys for oil and gas pipelines, wind energy projects, SAGD and
open pit mineral and oil sands mines. He is a member of the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science (Biology), University of Calgary
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (P. Biol.)
SPECIALIZED TRAINING
Aboriginal Awareness
Argo Safety Training
Arctic Wilderness Survival
Arctic Wilderness First Aid
Canada Safety Council ATV Training Course
Construction Safety Training System (required for all oils sands work)
Defensive Driving Certificate
H2S Alive
PADI Scuba Diver, Advanced
Pleasure Craft Operator Card
Snowmobile Safety Training
Standard First Aid/CPR Level B
Transportation of Dangerous Goods
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
Wildlife Immobilization Certificate
CAREER AND PROJECT EXPERIENCE
Ghostpine Environmental Services Ltd.
Calgary, Alberta
2010 - Present
SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNER / WILDLIFE ECOLOGIST
•
Project management, field team supervision, Government, NGO and community consultation.
•
Pre-Disturbance Assessments, Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessments, Cumulative Effects
Assessments, data collection and management, analysis, and reporting for pipelines, wellsites and facilities.
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Planning and conducting biodiversity and Species at Risk surveys in the prairie, foothills and boreal regions.
•
Conduct Wildlife and Wetland surveys for the Vantage Pipeline Project.
Golder Associates
Calgary, Alberta
2004 - 2009
WILDLIFE ECOLOGIST
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Pre-Disturbance Assessments, Environmental Impact Assessments and Cumulative Effects Assessments.
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Project Management.
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Environmental Assessment report writing.
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Conducted aerial and ground wildlife surveys.
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Field coordinator for baseline wildlife surveys in the oil sands region, prairie region, and in Panama.
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Literature reviews of habitat suitability index models and habitat evaluation procedures.
•
Designed and implemented of aboriginal environmental monitor training courses and wildlife survey field
courses for Siksika First Nation, Fort McMurray First Nations and Prophet River First Nations.
•
Supervised field teams, data analysis and project management.
IMG – Golder Corporation (IMGG)
Inuvik, Northwest Territories
2001 - 2004
ECOLOGIST / OFFICE MANAGER
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Completed Environmental Impact Assessments, Cumulative Effects Assessments, and Conservation and
Reclamation plans.
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Conducted aerial and ground wildlife surveys. Wildlife monitoring during river seismic surveys.
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Conducted community consultation.
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Conducted Phase I and II environmental site assessments.
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Designed and implemented an aboriginal environmental monitor training course for Vuntut Gwich in First
Nations.
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Supervised staff, coordination and logistics support for projects.
Riddell Environmental
2000
Williams Lake, British Columbia
WILDLIFE AND HABITAT BIOLOGIST
•
Evaluated Grizzly bear habitat for a proposed provincial park and made recommendations to minimize bearhuman conflicts.
Environmental Protection
1999 - 2000
Kananaskis Country, Alberta
WILDLIFE AND HABITAT BIOLOGIST
•
Conducted wildlife surveys in Bow Valley.
Canadian Wildlife Service
1999
Coburg Island, Nunavut
CONTRACT WILDLIFE AND HABITAT BIOLOGIST
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Conducted bird behavioral observations, banding, morphometrics at a seabird colony in the high arctic.
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Conducted polar bear safety management.
URSUS Ecosystems Management
1998 - 2001
Calgary, Alberta
CONTRACT WILDLIFE AND HABITAT BIOLOGIST
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Conducted wildlife habitat evaluation and wildlife surveys in the prairie, foothills, and the boreal forest regions
of Alberta, for mining and oil and gas projects.
University of Calgary
1997 - 1998
Kananaskis, Alberta
WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST
•
Evaluated grizzly bear habitat, participated in bear trapping, conducted bear management, DNA extraction from
grizzly bear hair samples, and sheep immobilization for the Eastern Slopes Grizzly Bear Project.
Central Rockies Wolf Project
1996 - 1998
Kananaskis, Alberta
WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST
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Conducted winter tracking and telemetry.
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Offered public education.
University of Calgary
1991 - 1996
Alberta, B.C. and Yukon Territory
RESEARCHER
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Assisted in the collection of wildlife and vegetation data of bats, agricultural pest insects, invasive plants, bull
trout and songbirds.
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Designed and conducted a songbird egg predation independent project.
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Banded songbirds.
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Collected data on marine fishes utilizing scuba equipment at Bamfield, British Columbia.
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Collected wildlife and ecology data for the Kluane Boreal Forest ecosystem project.
RELATED SKILLS
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Design and implementation of digital infra-red remote camera sampling programs, winter tracking surveys.
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Tropical, boreal and prairie wildlife surveys for mines, wellsites, pipelines, and wind energy projects.
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Pheromone trap surveys for moths.
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Raptor call playback and marsh bird call playback surveys; amphibian surveys; waterfowl; caribou and beaver
aerial surveys; and nest surveys for Species At Risk such as burrowing owls, ground-nesting prairie passerines,
and ferruginous hawks.
•
Use of wildlife aversion techniques at tailings ponds.