Order to Amend Species at Risk List

Summary#

This is a proposed Order to change the list of species protected under the Species at Risk Act. Published in the Canada Gazette on February 20, 2021, it would affect 17 wildlife entries by adding 11 species, reclassifying 5, and removing 1. Interested people could comment for 30 days after publication.

What it does#

• Adds 11 taxa to Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act, and gives some of them threatened or endangered status (which brings stronger federal protections on federal lands).
• Reclassifies 5 taxa (including one up-list from threatened to endangered and several down-listings).
• Removes 1 taxon from Schedule 1 (the Sonora Skipper is proposed to be delisted as “not at risk”).
• Triggers follow-up planning:
  • Recovery strategies for endangered species must be posted within one year of listing.
  • Recovery strategies for threatened species must be posted within two years of listing.
  • Management plans for species of special concern must be posted within three years of listing.
• Could lead to permit requirements for activities that would otherwise harm listed species or their habitats. The federal permit process aims to decide on applications within 90 days in many cases.
• The government estimated the net cost to federal budgets at about $316,000 to $410,000 over ten years, and an estimated incremental cost to permit applicants of about $1,100 (all values from the regulatory analysis).

Who's affected#

• Indigenous peoples — several of the species (for example, some caribou and turtles) are culturally important. The analysis says the proposed changes are not expected to create new restrictions for reserves in most cases, and incremental impacts on Indigenous groups are expected to be low for this package of changes.
• Parks Canada Agency and other federal land managers — stronger protections apply automatically on federal lands when species are listed as threatened or endangered.
• Researchers, universities and conservation groups — may need permits for work that affects listed species or their habitat.
• Provincial and territorial governments, landowners, resource users and industries — in some cases provincial law already protects these species; listing under the federal Act can add federal recovery planning and, where critical habitat on non-federal land is judged not effectively protected, could lead to federal orders.
• Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) — this scientific body provided the assessments that led to the proposed changes.

Why it matters#

• Listing or reclassifying species changes the legal and planning response: endangered and threatened listings trigger recovery strategies and often immediate federal protections on federal lands; special-concern listings require management plans and early attention.
• These actions aim to halt declines and support recovery of species that matter for ecosystem services (pollination, pest control, nutrient cycling), cultural practices, and biodiversity.
• For most people and businesses the short-term impacts are expected to be small. For land managers, researchers or anyone carrying out activities on federal lands, there may be new permitting or planning steps to avoid harming listed species.
• The proposal is one step in a process. It reflects COSEWIC science and opens a public comment period rather than immediately changing the law.