Ten Species Added to Species at Risk List

Summary#

This is a proposed Order Amending Schedule 1 to the Species at Risk Act that would add or change the status of 10 species in Canada. If made, the change would trigger federal recovery planning and, on federal lands, legal protections for the species now classed as threatened or endangered.

What it does#

• Adds five species as endangered:
  • Shagreen (Inflectarius inflectus)
  • Toothed Globe (Mesodon zaletus)
  • Reversed Haploa Moth (Haploa reversa)
  • Gillman’s Goldenrod (Solidago gillmanii)
  • Slender Yoke-Moss (Zygodon gracilis)
• Adds one species as threatened:
  • Carolina Mantleslug (Philomycus carolinianus)
• Adds three species as special concern:
  • Plains Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus)
  • Manitoba Oakworm Moth (Anisota manitobensis)
  • Puvirnituq Mountain Draba (Draba puvirnituqii)
• Reclassifies the Chestnut‑collared Longspur (Calcarius ornatus) from threatened to endangered, and updates its French common name.
• Practical effects tied to those listings:
  • For species listed as endangered or threatened, federal law (the Species at Risk Act) will require recovery planning and automatically applies prohibitions against killing, harming or destroying residences on federal lands.
  • For species listed as special concern, the law requires a management plan but does not automatically impose the prohibitions above.
  • Some activities may need a permit if they would otherwise break those prohibitions.

Who's affected#

• Indigenous communities whose traditional territories overlap these species. The government consulted many communities; specific reserves named in the analysis include Chippewas of the Thames, Munsee‑Delaware and Oneida.
• Federal land managers, especially Parks Canada (Point Pelee National Park) and the Department of National Defence (Camp Ipperwash), where some of the species occur.
• Landowners, researchers and businesses that carry out projects on federal lands or reserves. Some will need to apply for SARA permits. The government estimates an incremental cost to permit applicants of about $14,000 (total, first year).
• The Government of Canada for recovery and enforcement work; estimated costs over 10 years are about $360,000 to $440,000.
• Many species’ current known occurrences are on provincial or private lands, so in those places the federal prohibitions would not automatically apply unless further steps are taken.

Why it matters#

• Listing starts recovery work: recovery strategies, action plans or management plans aim to stop declines and protect habitat. That can lead to habitat protection on federal lands.
• These species play real roles in ecosystems and culture — for example pollination, pest control, nutrient cycling, and cultural or traditional importance to Indigenous peoples — so protecting them supports wider environmental and social benefits.
• For people and businesses, the immediate costs are expected to be small and mostly administrative (permits, planning). For land users on federal lands or reserves, new limits or permit requirements are possible once recovery actions and any critical‑habitat designations are identified.
• Some details remain uncertain until recovery planning happens — for example how much critical habitat will be formally identified and where protection orders might apply.