Public Comment Period on Intent to Make a Determination
DRDC Suffield, Ferruginous Hawk nest relocation from utility poles onto an artificial nesting platform in the Experimental Proving Grounds - Canadian Forces Base Suffield

October 17, 2025 — The Department of National Defence must decide whether the proposed project is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects.

To help inform this decision, the Department of National Defence is inviting comments from the public on the project and its potential effects on the environment. All comments received will be considered public. For more information, individuals should consult the Privacy Notice on the Registry website.

Written comments must be submitted by October 26, 2025 to:
Corey Davidson, Chief Environment
Mailing Address:  PO Box 4000, Station Main, Suffield
Alberta, Canada, T1A 8K6
E-mail:  corey.davidson@forces.gc.ca

The Proposed Project

The Department of National Defence (DND) has proposed a project. Located within the Experimental Proving Grounds (EPG) at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Suffield, Ferruginous Hawks (FEHA) have established nests on a de-energized utility line that will be re-energized for a proposed development of a new facility, these nests will require relocation away from a trial site danger template, and the high-risk utility poles.

A permanent Artificial Nesting Platform (ANP) will be installed ~450m North-Northeast, a distance that will allow for maximum setback distances from oil and gas infrastructure, roadways, the high-risk utility pole, and the Defence Research trial site.

To effectively have the FEHA nest on the permanently installed ANP, a mobile nesting platform will be developed with similar height of the existing utility pole, while still maintaining stability. The mobile platform will be moved incrementally ~100m per year towards it, with the first move only 50m from the current nesting location, to better ensure nest acceptance upon the FEHA's return in spring.