The Species at Risk Act (SARA) was proclaimed into law by the Government of Canada on June 5th, 2003. The purpose of SARA is to recover extirpated, endangered and threatened species, and to prevent species of special concern from becoming further at risk.  There are three “pillars” identified by federal strategy for species at risk - the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk “Accord” (established in 1996), the Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk “HSP” (introduced in 2000) and now, SARA.  SARA is the legislative tool developed by the federal government to implement the Accord.

In order to implement SARA, the conservation status of a species must be identified.  This is undertaken by COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada), which makes recommendations to the Minister of the Environment and the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council.  COSEWIC’s website is www.cosewic.gc.ca.

The council is responsible for coordinating national species at risk activities and providing general direction to COSEWIC.  The Minister of the Environment must indicate in the “Public Registry”, within 90 days after receiving a status recommendation from COSEWIC, a response to the recommendation.  Further, the government must act within nine months to either add the species to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk ( “List”), decline to do so, or ask for more information.

Once a species is included in the List of Wildlife Species at Risk, a recovery strategy must be prepared.  Those on the List when the Act was proclaimed must have a recovery strategy produced with in three years for endangered and within four years for extirpated and threatened species.  Newly added species must have a strategy prepared within one or two years depending on their status.  At present, the process of developing recovery strategies, action plans, actual implementation and reporting is lengthy.  However, where a species requires immediate assistance, the government may impose an “emergency order” to protect a species and habitat if necessary for survival or recovery.

SARA prohibits a wide range of activities threatening species listed as extirpated, endangered or threatened on the List on federal lands and waters, aquatic species covered by the Fisheries Act, and birds covered by the Migratory Birds Convention Act.  For species not covered by these specific acts - provincial/territorial - options exist to either apply existing, or develop new legislation to protect the species appropriately.

Tallgrass Ontario

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