The Recovery Illusion: What Is Delaying the Rescue of Imperiled Species?

BioScience ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catarina C Ferreira ◽  
Thomas J Hossie ◽  
Deborah A Jenkins ◽  
Morgan Wehtje ◽  
Cayla E Austin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
The United States ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Legislative Process ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Road Density ◽  
Recovery Planning ◽  
Species At Risk Act ◽  
Imperiled Species

Abstract With unprecedented losses in biodiversity, the need for stronger environmental policy has emerged as a conservation priority. Yet recovery planning for imperiled species remains a cumbersome, slow legislative process. In the present article, we examine features of recovery planning for species listed under Canada's Species at Risk Act to determine those influencing recovery planning duration. We found that the time to completion of recovery strategies increases with the number of jurisdictions concurrently listing the species, greater land tenure diversity, species population size, and road density. Species at risk in Canada with no listing status in the United States also suffered longer delays. To achieve a more efficient, timely, and defensible implementation of recovery planning, we recommend that governments prioritize recovery planning on the basis of risk level, promote transjurisdictional collaboration among listing agencies, anticipate and mitigate conservation challenges associated with multitenured and developed landscapes, and adopt procedures that enhance compliance with legislated timelines for recovery planning.

The effects of lead agency, nongovernmental organizations, and recovery team membership on the identification of critical habitat for species at risk: insights from the Canadian experience

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric B. Taylor ◽  
Susan Pinkus
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Nongovernmental Organizations ◽  
Federal Court ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Critical Habitat ◽  
Lead Agency ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Recovery Planning ◽  
Recovery Strategies ◽  
Species At Risk Act

Evaluation of legislation and procedures in place to help recover species at risk of extinction is an important component of conservation efforts. Despite its biological importance and key role in species protection and recovery legislation, identification of critical habitat is inconsistently applied. We analyzed data from 126 recovery strategies implemented under Canada’s nascent (2002) Species at Risk Act (SARA) to determine how lead agency, Federal Court rulings, and the proportion of independent team members influenced identification of critical habitat. Only 17% of strategies led by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans included critical habitat, compared with 63% of strategies led by Environment Canada, indicating that aquatic species at risk are much less likely to have critical habitat identified. A 50% increase in recovery strategies that identified critical habitat following precedent-setting court judgments suggests that legal action by nongovernmental organizations played a key role in the evolution of recovery policy for species at risk in Canada. The proportion of independent scientists on a recovery team was statistically unrelated to identification of critical habitat at a national scale, but case studies indicate that independent team members may play an important role in ensuring compliance and transparency during recovery planning.

“What Does the Fox Say” – A Review of the Grey Fox in Canada and its Current Status as a Threatened Species

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Deere
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
The United States ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Road Mortality ◽  
The Us ◽  
Species At Risk Act

In Canada, the grey fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is found with certainty in Ontario and Manitoba, but has also been sighted in other provinces. Interestingly, there is little Canadian research on the grey fox, despite its status as “threatened” on both the Ontario Species at Risk list and on the Canadian Species at Risk Act. Possible reasons that the grey fox has not received as much attention as other at-risk species in Canada include its lack of economic value and its high abundance in the United States (US). It is believed that the grey fox was once as widespread as the red fox (Vulpes Vulpes) in Southern Ontario, but today that is no longer the case. It is currently believed that less than 250 individuals are found in Canada and the fate of their population is unknown. This change in population abundance shows the importance of gaining more information on the grey fox’s current distribution in Canada. Within the US, the primary threat to this species is excessive hunting; while in Canada, by-catch, deforestation, and road mortality represent greater dangers. The focus of this presentation will be to summarize current knowledge on Canadian populations of the grey fox with some reference to populations in the US in order to highlight the importance of this trans-boundary species within Canadian ecosystems. I will provide recommendations to both the Federal Government of Ontario and the Municipality of Peelee Island, while outlining possible conservation solutions for the population decline of the grey fox in Canada.

Species Listing under Canada's Species at Risk Act

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1609-1617 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. SCOTT FINDLAY ◽  
STEWART ELGIE ◽  
BRIAN GILES ◽  
LINDA BURR
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Species At Risk Act

A Framework for Developing Management Goals for Species at Risk with Examples from Military Installations in the United States

2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 1163-1179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Efroymson ◽  
Henriette Jager ◽  
Virginia Dale ◽  
James Westervelt
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
At Risk ◽  
The United States ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Military Installations

Canadian species at risk (2006–2008), with particular emphasis on fishes

2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (NA) ◽  
pp. 53-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Hutchings ◽  
Marco Festa-Bianchet
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Marine Fish ◽  
Spatiotemporal Analysis ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Wildlife Species ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Status ◽  
Special Concern ◽  
Species At Risk Act ◽  
Diadromous Species

In accordance with the Species at Risk Act (SARA), the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) is nationally responsible for assessing wildlife species considered to be at risk of extinction. A parliamentary review of SARA provides impetus for an up-to-date summary of recent assessments (2006–2008) and a spatiotemporal analysis of the status of Canada's largest vertebrate group of species at risk, fishes. From April 1978 through December 2008, COSEWIC had assessed 13 wildlife species as extinct and 564 at some level of risk (extirpated, endangered, threatened, special concern). Among these 577 assessments, 112 are for fishes (76% freshwater and diadromous; 24% marine). Slightly more than one-quarter (27%) of Canada's 205 freshwater and diadromous species of fishes, many of which are in southwestern Ontario and southeastern Quebec, have been assessed as being at risk throughout all or parts of their ranges. The percentage of Canadian freshwater and diadromous fish species assessed by COSEWIC as endangered or threatened (16%) is similar to the percentage of freshwater and diadromous fishes in the US that have been listed under the Endangered Species Act (12%). The proportion of wholly freshwater fishes assessed by COSEWIC that have been added to SARA's legal schedule is somewhat lower than that of other taxa. However, whereas the US listed its first marine fish in 2005, the Canadian government has to date not accepted COSEWIC's advice to list an endangered or threatened marine fish since the proclamation of SARA in 2003.

Canada's Species at Risk Act

Fisheries ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 11-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
James R. Irvine ◽  
Mart R. Gross ◽  
Chris C. Wood ◽  
L. Blair Holtby ◽  
Neil D. Schubert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Species At Risk Act

scholarly journals Protecting biodiversity in British Columbia: Recommendations for developing species at risk legislation

FACETS ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alana R. Westwood ◽  
Sarah P. Otto ◽  
Arne Mooers ◽  
Chris Darimont ◽  
Karen E. Hodges ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Provincial Government ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Or Groups ◽  
Species At Risk Act ◽  
Species Declines

British Columbia has the greatest biological diversity of any province or territory in Canada. Yet increasing numbers of species in British Columbia are threatened with extinction. The current patchwork of provincial laws and regulations has not effectively prevented species declines. Recently, the Provincial Government has committed to enacting an endangered species law. Drawing upon our scientific and legal expertise, we offer recommendations for key features of endangered species legislation that build upon strengths and avoid weaknesses observed elsewhere. We recommend striking an independent Oversight Committee to provide recommendations about listing species, organize Recovery Teams, and monitor the efficacy of actions taken. Recovery Teams would evaluate and prioritize potential actions for individual species or groups of species that face common threats or live in a common area, based on best available evidence (including natural and social science and Indigenous Knowledge). Our recommendations focus on implementing an adaptive approach, with ongoing and transparent monitoring and reporting, to reduce delays between determining when a species is at risk and taking effective actions to save it. We urge lawmakers to include this strong evidentiary basis for species recovery as they tackle the scientific and socioeconomic challenges of building an effective species at risk Act.

scholarly journals Fixing the Canadian Species at Risk Act: identifying major issues and recommendations for increasing accountability and efficiency

FACETS ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 1474-1494
Author(s):  
Audrey Turcotte ◽  
Natalie Kermany ◽  
Sharla Foster ◽  
Caitlyn A. Proctor ◽  
Sydney M. Gilmour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Safety Net ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Government Accountability ◽  
Missed Opportunities ◽  
Species Protection ◽  
Inclusive Approach ◽  
Legislative Amendments ◽  
Species At Risk Act ◽  
Risk Protection

Since the implementation of the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA) in 2003, deficiencies in SARA and its application have become clear. Legislative and policy inconsistencies among responsible federal agencies and the use of a subjective approach for prioritizing species protection lead to taxonomic biases in protection. Variations in legislation among provinces/territories and the reluctance of the federal government to take actions make SARA’s application often inefficient on nonfederally managed lands. Ambiguous key terms (e.g., critical habitat) and disregard for legislated deadlines in many steps impede the efficacy of SARA. Additionally, the failure to fully recognize Indigenous knowledge and to seek Indigenous cooperation in the species protection process leads to weaker government accountability, promotes inequity, and leads to missed opportunities for partnerships. New legislative amendments with well-defined and standardized steps, including an automatic listing process, a systematic prioritization program, and clearer demands (e.g., mandatory threshold to trigger safety net/emergency order) would improve the success of species at risk protection. Moreover, a more inclusive approach that brings Indigenous representatives and independent scientists together is necessary for improving SARA’s effectiveness. These changes have the potential to transform SARA into a more powerful act towards protecting Canada’s at-risk wildlife. (The graphical abstract follows.)

scholarly journals Conserving plant species at risk in Canada: land tenure, threats, and representation in federal programs

FACETS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 538-550
Author(s):  
J.L. McCune ◽  
Peter D.S. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Private Land ◽  
Federal Programs ◽  
Private Lands ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Federal Land ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Fully 37% of species listed under Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) are plants or lichens. The law does not automatically protect species on private land, and it is unknown how many at-risk plants grow mainly on private land. We analyzed official status reports and related documents for 234 plant species at risk to determine land tenure and evaluated differences in threats and changes in status. We also assessed how well plants were represented in two federal programs: the Natural Areas Conservation Program (NACP) and the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP). Of SARA-listed plant species, 35% have the majority of their known populations on private land while <10% occur mostly on federal land. Species growing mainly on private land were no more or less likely to decline in status over time compared with others. Plant species at risk were less likely than other taxonomic groups to be found on land protected under the NACP. The proportion of HSP projects targeting plants is well below the expected proportion based on the number of listed species. We recommend that policy-makers promote and prioritize actions to increase the representation of plant species in federally funded programs, especially on private lands.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document