Site 2 is situated approximately 10 km northwest of the town of Whitecourt in central Alberta. The parcel is located within the Mid Boreal Mixedwood Ecoregion (see Site 1 for description). The Swan Hills lie northeast of Site 2 and are a unique physiographic region because they are largely undeveloped. They are comprised of rugged rolling hills of lodgepole pine and white and black spruce forests and include the only habitat for grizzly bears outside the mountain regions of Western Canada. Whitecourt Geographical Description The second site, located just north of the town of Whitecourt, is irregular in shape. It occupies the land just north of the intersection of Highway #43 and Highway #32 (the Swan Hills Highway). The site is also located at the intersection of two water courses; the Sakwatamau River, a meandering stream which runs north to south through the site, and Carson Creek which flows into the Sakwatamau from the northeast. There are a number of oil and gas pipelines which pass through the site.
Site 3 is located on the eastern side of the intersection of the Forestry Trunk Road and forestry road. The Pembina River passes just north of the parcel, while to the south lies the Brazeau River. There is a small lake along the eastern boundary, which is surrounded by an area of low lying, swampy terrain. The majority of the site remains forested, with the exception of an elongated parcel extending along the eastern boundary and a portion of land adjacent to the Pembina River. Eagle River Site Description Site 3 is situated in a largely uninhabited area. It lies within the Upper Boreal Cordilleran Ecoregion and is comprised of lodgepole pine forests, with intermittent stands of white and black spruce in the dry and wet terrain, respectively. The ecoregion occurs between the Lower Cordilleran and Subalpine ecoregions and is often referred to as the Foothills. The Rocky Mountain Forest Reserve extends south from Site 3 and is comprised primarily of harvestable coniferous forest.
The most westerly parcel, Site 4, is situated just west of the junction of the Cardinal River and Ruby Creek. The northern border is bounded by the Cardinal River and a gravelled road which runs parallel to, and just north of the river. Ruby Creek intersects the parcel of land in an east-west direction. Nomad Creek passes through the site also, flowing west to east, draining into the Cardinal River near the northeastern corner. Flapjack Creek passes through the eastern portion of the site, emptying into Ruby Creek to the north. Cardinal Site Description Site 4 is situated approximately 20 km east of Jasper National Park along the eastern fringe of the Rocky Mountains. It is in an isolated location and is also in a largely unsettled area. The region falls within the Subalpine and Alpine Ecoregions, characterized by lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce forests in the lower and mid latitudes 0 600 m to 2000 m ASL), with virtually no vegetative cover above this elevation. Wildlife in the area includes mountain sheep and mountain goat, moose, mule deer and grizzly.
