The Basics of Species at Risk Legislation in Alberta

Fluker, Shaun; Stacey, Jocelyn

doi:10.29173/alr269

Cited by 25 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…The ability to enact meaningful habitat management measures in Canada typically depends upon policy instruments not primarily focused on species at risk because most wildlife is distributed over areas outside federal legislative powers (Fluker & Stacey, 2012; Palm et al, 2020). Our results support previous suggestions that despite adoption of species at risk listing representing a decision to regulate and manage, “legislative commitment to recovery planning does not necessarily mean a commitment to plan implementation” (Farrier, Whelan, & Mooney, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat loss accelerates for the endangered woodland caribou in western Canada

Nagy‐Reis

Dickie

Calvert

et al. 2021

Conservat Sci and Prac

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Habitat loss is often the ultimate cause of species endangerment and is also a leading factor inhibiting species recovery. For this reason, species‐at‐risk legislation, policies and plans typically focus on habitat conservation and restoration as mechanisms for recovery. To assess the effectiveness of these instruments in decelerating habitat loss, we evaluated spatiotemporal habitat changes for an iconic endangered species, woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). We quantified changes in forest cover, a key proxy of caribou habitat, for all caribou subpopulations in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada. Despite efforts under federal and provincial recovery plans, and requirements listed under Canada's Species at Risk Act, caribou subpopulations lost twice as much habitat as they gained during a 12‐year period (2000–2012). Drivers of habitat loss varied by ecotype, with Boreal and Northern Mountain caribou affected most by forest fire and Southern Mountain caribou affected more by forest harvest. Our case study emphasizes critical gaps between recovery planning and habitat management actions, which are a core expectation under most species‐at‐risk legislation. Loss of caribou habitat from 2000 to 2018 has accelerated. Linear features within caribou ranges have also increased over time, particularly seismic lines within Boreal caribou ranges, and we estimated that only 5% of seismic lines have functionally regenerated. Our findings support the idea that short‐term recovery actions such as predator reductions and translocations will likely just delay caribou extinction in the absence of well‐considered habitat management. Given the magnitude of ongoing habitat change, it is clear that unless the cumulative impacts of land‐uses are effectively addressed through planning and management actions that consider anthropogenic and natural disturbances, we will fail to achieve self‐sustaining woodland caribou populations across much of North America.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat loss accelerates for the endangered woodland caribou in western Canada

Nagy‐Reis

Dickie

Calvert

et al. 2021

Conservat Sci and Prac

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“…One difficulty with protecting critical habitat on nonfederal lands under SARA is that the federal government has considerable discretion with respect to forming opinions and issuing orders under sections 61 and 80 so that social and economic effects are considered in the decision. Further, the Canadian federal government has historically been reluctant to exercise environmental authority over matters on provincial lands (Fluker & Stacey, 2012). Not surprisingly then, the federal government has yet to exercise its power under section 61 of SARA and has only issued two section 80 emergency protection orders since SARA was enacted in 2003; one for the western chorus frog (Pseudacris triseriata) in Quebec and one for greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.…”

Section: Sara Section 61 and Section 80 Ordersmentioning

confidence: 99%

The long road to protecting critical habitat for species at risk: The case of southern mountain woodland caribou

Palm

Fluker

Nesbitt

et al. 2020

Conservat Sci and Prac

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Identifying habitat that is essential to the recovery of species at risk, known as critical habitat, is a major focus of species at risk legislation, yet there has been little research on the degree to which these areas are protected. Here, we first review the provisions for protecting critical habitat on non-federal lands within Canada's Species at Risk Act (SARA). Next, we use the declining southern mountain population of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in British Columbia, Canada as a case study to show that identification of critical habitat does not guarantee its protection on non-federal lands. Our analyses show that 909 km 2 of critical habitat identified on provincial lands were logged in 5 years after it was legally identified under SARA. Existing provincial legislation and policies have provided incomplete protection of caribou critical habitat, and Canada's federal government has yet to exercise authority under SARA that could protect these areas. In the absence of nondiscretionary protection under provincial legislation, a combination of alternative mechanisms, involving all levels of government, Indigenous people, and industry, will be essential to protect critical habitat and help recover species at risk.

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“…An independent body of experts, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), exists to provide scientifically sound assessments to identify and classify species at risk. SARA applies to species found on lands administered by a federal government (e.g., national parks) and species falling under federal legislative powers (e.g., aquatic species and migratory birds under the Migratory Birds Convention Act (1994)) [40,41]. However, the Canadian federal government can issue emergency orders under SARA (SARA, Section 80) for species of concern that are found outside of its jurisdiction and "face imminent threats to its survival or recovery" (SARA, Section 80.2) when provincial or territorial governments fall short of taking acceptable action to protect the species.…”

Section: Species At Risk and Their Habitatsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest Landscape Restoration Legislation and Policy: A Canadian Perspective

Mansuy

Hwang

Gupta

et al. 2022

Land

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Restoring degraded ecosystems is an urgent policy priority to regain ecological integrity, advance sustainable land use management, and mitigate climate change. This study examined current legislation and policies supporting forest landscape restoration (FLR) in Canada to assess its capacity to advance restoration planning and efforts. First, a literature review was performed to assess the policy dimension of FLR globally and across Canada. Then, a Canada-wide policy scan using national databases was conducted. While published research on ecological restoration has increased exponentially in Canada and globally since the early 1990s, our results showed that the policy dimensions of FLR remain largely under documented in the scientific literature, despite their key role in implementing effective restoration measures on the ground. Our analyses have identified over 200 policy instruments and show that Canada has developed science-based FLR policies and best practices driven by five main types of land use and extraction activities: (1) mining and oil and gas activities; (2) sustainable forest management; (3) environmental impact assessment; (4) protected areas and parks; and (5) protection and conservation of species at risk. Moreover, FLR policies have been recently added to the national climate change mitigation agenda as part of the nature-based solutions and the net-zero emission strategy. Although a pioneer in restoration, we argue that Canada can take a more targeted and proactive approach in advancing its restoration agenda in order to cope with a changing climate and increased societal demands for ecosystem services and Indigenous rights. Considering the multifunctional values of the landscape, the science–policy interface is critical to transform policy aspirations into realizable and quantifiable targets in conjunction with other land-use objectives and values.

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The Basics of Species at Risk Legislation in Alberta

Cited by 25 publications

References 0 publications

Habitat loss accelerates for the endangered woodland caribou in western Canada

Habitat loss accelerates for the endangered woodland caribou in western Canada

The long road to protecting critical habitat for species at risk: The case of southern mountain woodland caribou

Forest Landscape Restoration Legislation and Policy: A Canadian Perspective

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