RSMIN has been notified of the steps taken in accordance with Ontario’s Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA), which provides protection for species at risk and helps to safeguard Ontario’s biodiversity. The Five-Year Review of Progress Reports for 27 species has been published under the ESA.
For species that are endangered or threatened under the ESA in Ontario, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) receives scientific advice and recommendations in the form of a species’ recovery strategy. The government is then required to develop a species-specific policy response to that external advice in a government response statement (GRS). The GRS identifies actions for the government and partners to undertake to protect and recover the species.
Government response statements for 27 species were finalized in 2011. Under the ESA, MNRF is required to complete a review of progress towards the protection and recovery of a species within five years following a government response statement being published. The 2016 Review of Progress provides an overview of recent ministry activities related to the protection and recovery of Ontario’s species at risk, followed by a series of 19 reports that describe progress achieved for the 27 species. There are 14 single-species reports and five multi-species reports that are now available online.
The 14 single-species reports are:
1. American White Pelican
2. Bent Spike-rush
3. Cucumber Tree
4. Forked Three-awned Grass
5. Fowler’s Toad
6. Hoary Mountain-mint
7. Northern Barrens Tiger Beetle
8. Pale-bellied Frost Lichen
9. Queensnake
10. Rapids Clubtail
11. Small Whorled Pogonia
12. Virginia Mallow
13. Wavy-rayed Lampmussel
14. Wood-poppy;
and the five multi-species reports (regarding 13 additional species) are:
1. Common Five-lined Skink(Carolinian) and Common Five-lined Skink (Southern Shield)
2. Eastern Foxsnake (Carolinian) and Eastern Foxsnake (Georgian Bay)
3. Gray Ratsnake (Carolinian) and Gray Ratsnake (Frontenac Axis)
4. Round Hickorynut and Kidneyshell
5. Northern Riffleshell, Rayed Bean, Round Pigtoe, Salamander Mussel and Snuffbox.
MNRF recognizes that the protection and recovery of these species continue to benefit from the respectful consideration and application of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous perspectives and practices. We remain committed to working collaboratively with Indigenous peoples, communities and organizations. We appreciate your feedback and comments submitted on species at risk documents to date and hope to continue to work closely with you and your community.
To view the 2016 updates and species reports, please visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/five-year-review-progress-towards-protection-and-recovery-ontarios-species-risk. For an overview of ESA policy and program work, applicable to all 27 species, please visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/species-risk-program-status-2008-2015.
To view the Environmental Registry information notice for the reports, please visit www.ontario.ca/environmentalregistry and enter 012-9275 in the search.
If you would like to comment or have any further questions please contact Dean Whellan by phone at 807-623-4635 or by email at consultation@rsmin.ca