Species at Risk: New Listings and Changes

Summary#

The Order Amending Schedule 1 to the Species at Risk Act (SOR/2021-87) updates Canada’s official list of at-risk wildlife. It adds some species, changes the conservation status of others, and fixes two English names; the Order came into force on registration (April 23, 2021) and was published in the Canada Gazette on May 12, 2021.

What it does#

• Adds new listings to Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act:

  • False-foxglove Sun Moth (Pyrrhia aurantiago) — newly listed as endangered (Ontario).
  • Acuteleaf Small Limestone Moss (Seligeria acutifolia) — newly listed as endangered (British Columbia).
  • Quebec Rockcress (Boechera quebecensis) — newly listed as endangered (Quebec).
  • Red‑tailed Leafhopper (Aflexia rubranura) — two separate populations added as species of special concern: Great Lakes Plains population (Ontario) and Prairie population (Manitoba).
  • Eastern Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta picta) — added as species of special concern (Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia).
  • Midland Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta marginata) — added as species of special concern (Ontario, Quebec).
  • Yukon Wild Buckwheat (Eriogonum flavum var. aquilinum) — added as species of special concern (Yukon).

• Reclassifies some species:

  • Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander (Appalachian population, Desmognathus ochrophaeus) — moved from threatened to endangered (Quebec).
  • Red‑headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) — moved from threatened to endangered (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec).
  • Prairie Skink (Plestiodon septentrionalis) — moved from endangered to species of special concern (Manitoba).
  • Spoon‑leaved Moss (Bryoandersonia illecebra) — moved from endangered to threatened (Ontario).

• Changes English names (no legal status change):

  • Coastal Vesper Sparrow (formerly Vesper Sparrow affinis subspecies) — British Columbia.
  • Streaked Horned Lark (formerly Horned Lark strigata subspecies) — British Columbia.

• Practical detail: endangered and threatened listings trigger recovery planning and, on federal lands, immediate legal prohibitions against killing, harming or destroying residences. Species of special concern require management plans but do not trigger those immediate prohibitions.

Who's affected#

• Federal conservation staff and land managers — including Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Parks Canada Agency — who must prepare recovery strategies, action plans or management plans for the newly listed or reclassified species.
• Researchers and organizations that work with these species may need permits if activities would otherwise be prohibited on federal lands.
• Provincial governments and local governments where the species occur; some provinces expressed concerns during consultation because provincial tools already cover some species.
• Indigenous communities and modern-treaty holders whose lands host listed species — for example, the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations are the primary landholders where Yukon Wild Buckwheat occurs. The Order requires engagement with Indigenous partners during planning.
• Nature-watchers and members of the public who value these species (e.g., birdwatchers and turtle enthusiasts) may notice increased conservation attention.

If it’s unclear who will be affected in a particular place, local occurrence maps or the COSEWIC reports give the best detail.

Why it matters#

• The Order updates federal protections to reflect scientific assessments by COSEWIC and starts recovery or management planning for the listed species. That helps prevent extinctions and supports Canada’s biodiversity.
• For species listed as endangered or threatened, federal protections on federal lands kick in immediately and recovery planning begins. For species of special concern, management planning is required but immediate prohibitions do not apply.
• The government estimated the overall net cost of implementing these changes at about $160,000 to $230,000 over 10 years (mainly for planning work). Incremental permit-related costs to applicants were estimated at roughly $1,100 (undiscounted).
• For people who live, work, or develop projects on lands where these species occur, some activities on federal lands may face new limits or require permits. For others, the Order mainly means more conservation work and monitoring that aims to keep these species around for future generations.