Acknowledgement of COSEWIC Caribou Assessments
Order Acknowledging Receipt of the Assessments Done Pursuant to subsection 23(1) of the Act: SI/2022-6
This order formally acknowledges receipt of COSEWIC assessments for three caribou populations (Central Mountain — Endangered; Southern Mountain — Endangered; Northern Mountain — Special Concern). It starts the Species at Risk Act decision timeline, giving the Governor in Council up to nine months to accept, reject, or refer the assessments; if no decision is made within nine months, the Minister must amend Schedule 1 to reflect COSEWIC’s findings. The order itself does not by itself list the populations or create protections.
- Published
- February 16, 2022
- Department
- Unavailable
- Section
- Order Acknowledging Receipt of the Assessments Done Pursuant to subsection 23(1) of the Act
- Comment deadline
- Unavailable
- Effective date
- February 3, 2022
- Publication part
- Part II
Summary
Summary#
This is an order by the federal government that officially acknowledges receipt of three species assessments from the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The assessments cover three caribou populations and start the decision process under the Species at Risk Act; the order was registered as SI/2022-6 on February 16, 2022 (order dated February 3, 2022).
What it does#
- Acknowledges COSEWIC’s assessments for:
- Caribou, Central Mountain population — assessed as Endangered (range: British Columbia, Alberta).
- Caribou, Southern Mountain population — assessed as Endangered (range: British Columbia).
- Caribou, Northern Mountain population — assessed as Special Concern (range: Yukon, Northwest Territories, British Columbia).
- Starts the timeline under the Species at Risk Act for the federal government to respond. Within nine months, the Governor in Council may:
- add the populations to Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act (the federal list),
- decide not to add them, or
- send the matter back to COSEWIC for more information.
- If no decision is made within nine months, the Minister must, by order, amend the List to match COSEWIC’s assessments.
Who's affected#
- People, communities and industries in the caribou ranges: British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, Northwest Territories.
- Federal, provincial and territorial governments, and local wildlife management boards named in land-claims agreements (these may be consulted).
- Indigenous communities in the affected areas.
- Resource and land-use sectors operating in the ranges (for example, forestry, mining, energy, and other activities) — but any concrete effects depend on whether and how the populations are added to the federal list.
Why it matters#
- This step begins a formal federal decision process that could lead to adding these caribou populations to the national list of species at risk.
- If they are listed on Schedule 1, that can trigger recovery planning and measures aimed at protecting the animals and their habitat.
- Those measures can affect land use, development projects, and conservation work in the regions where the caribou live.
- At this stage the order only acknowledges receipt of assessments; it does not itself create protections or rules.
Key topics
Source: Canada Gazette