Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro Line Modifications in Gros Morne National Park – Public comments invited from June 18 to July 18, 2024  

June 18, 2024 - Parks Canada must decide whether the proposed project Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro Line Modifications in Gros Morne 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's potential effects on the environment. 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.

In order to submit comments or request a copy of the draft Detailed Impact Assessment report, contact:

Gros Morne National Park
PO Box 130
Rocky Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador A0K 4N0
Telephone: 709-458-2417
Email: grosmorne@pc.gc.ca

Comments must be submitted by July 18, 2024.

Project Summary: Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro (NL Hydro) is proposing to widen the Right of Way (ROW) corridors of five transmission lines that run through Gros Morne National Park. These lines are critical infrastructure, delivering electricity to national park facilities, enclave communities, and destinations north of the national park (i.e., over 9,000 customers). The transmission lines currently have higher service disruption rates than lines outside the park. During this five-year project, NL Hydro will work during the fall and winter to increase the five ROW corridors within the park from 9-15m to 19-29m in width, depending on the terrain. A two-zone approach will be used to reduce the impact of the widened ROW. With this two-zone approach, the existing ROWs (‘wire zones') will continue to be cleared of all trees and shrubs. The new ROW expansion areas (‘border zones') will be selectively cleared of trees tall enough to be in the wire security zone, while shorter trees and shrubs will be retained.

Scope of Assessment: The Detailed Impact Assessment will assess the impacts of  a transmission line modification project on the Park's ecological integrity, visitor experience and cultural heritage values. The valued components to be assessed include vegetation – communities and species,  visitor experience – viewscapes, and World Heritage Site – Outstanding Universal Values.