Species at Risk Act annual report for 2016: chapter 6

The Highway 117 Rehabilitation Project, in Kouchibouguac National Park of Canada, utilized collaboration, advance planning, and an understanding of the local ecosystem to turn a road construction project into long term benefits for species.

Re-paving 24 kilometers of road risked damaging sensitive stream habitats, where many species including the threatened Wood Turtle lived. Road mortality is one of the biggest threats facing Wood Turtles in Canada.

The Highway Rehabilitation Project passed right through two areas of critical habitat for the Wood Turtle. Scientific studies in Kouchibouguac also showed there were four ‘hotspots’ along the highway that were particularly deadly for amphibians, such as frogs and salamanders. With this in mind, the construction team, engineers, and the Kouchibouguac ecologists worked closely to install four wildlife tunnels in these hotspots. Two of these tunnels are in Wood Turtle critical habitat. These specially designed passages allow wildlife to safely cross under the road rather than over it. To make sure frogs, salamanders, turtles, and other small animals could find the tunnels, fencing was installed along the highway to guide wildlife into the underpasses.

The habitat improvements didn’t end there. In addition to re-paving the road, 58 culverts needed replacing. The new, larger culverts enhanced the habitat for many fish species by reducing erosion. ‘Plunge pools’ were created adjacent to several culverts which also slow the water flow, providing resting spots for migrating fish and habitat for amphibians. At six sites, culvert replacements expanded fish habitat by connecting previously blocked streams that had fragmented the aquatic habitat.

These weren’t the only connections established during this project. Park biologists worked with engineers to decide the location of the wildlife tunnels. Construction contractors coordinated with staff at PCA and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to decide which style of culverts to install. The key to the success of this project was involving partners who could lend their expertise and support early on in the planning process.

The Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii), a medium-sized, graceful seabird, is found on coasts and islands along the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans, with important North Atlantic nesting sites on islands off the coast of Nova Scotia. The Roseate Tern is a migratory bird afforded protection under the Migratory Bird Convention Act, 1994 (MBCA), listed as an endangered species under the Nova Scotia Endangered Species Act and designated as a threatened wildlife species under Quebec’s An Act Respecting Threatened or Vulnerable Species.

In 2003, the Roseate Tern is also listed as endangered under SARA. The final recovery strategy for the Roseate Tern was completed and posted on the Species at Risk Public Registry in 2006. It identified terrestrial and aquatic critical habitat, some of which was on the following federal lands: 1) terrestrial habitat of, and waters surrounding, Sable Island, Nova Scotia; 2) waters surrounding North Brother and South Brother Islands, Nova Scotia; and 3) terrestrial habitat of, and waters surrounding, Country Island, Nova Scotia.

In January 2007, a description of the critical habitat of the Roseate Tern in the Sable Island Bird Sanctuary was published in the Canada Gazette. Legal protection under SARA came into effect 90 days later, on April 20, 2007. Sable Island is administered by PCA and is currently both a Migratory Bird Sanctuary under the MBCA and a National Park Reserve under the Canada National Parks Act (CNPA).

On December 1, 2013, the Sable Island National Park Reserve was established and the PCA published a Protection Statement on the Species at Risk Public Registry in October 2014 that stated that the CNPA and its regulations provide legal protection against the destruction of critical habitat for the Roseate Tern on Sable Island through a number of provisions. In order to assess the legal protection on the remaining federal lands on which critical habitat for the Roseate Tern had been identified, ECCC performed a detailed review of the MBCA; the Canada Shipping Act, 2001; the Oceans Act; the Federal Real Property and Federal Immovables Act; and the Fisheries Act. ECCC concluded that portions of Roseate Tern critical habitat were not legally protected. ECCC worked with PCA and consulted DFO, the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Indigenous communities to finalize the legal protection of critical habitat of the Roseate Tern.

On November 16, 2016, a Ministerial Order was published prohibiting the destruction of critical habitat as set out in subsection 58(1) of SARA. This order will contribute to the recovery of the Roseate Tern by protecting the species’ critical habitat on federal land from destructive human activities. The order also provides regulatory certainty with respect to future proposed activities in the area. The order may also help protect additional species, including a variety of other tern species with whom Roseate Terns co-nest -- the Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) and the Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea) -- as well as other species of seabirds and waterfowl that nest on Country Island, such as Leach’s Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), the Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle), and the Common Eider (Somateria mollissima).

In 2016, volunteers and partners at Grasslands National Park of Canada spent more than 400 hours marking fences and planting sagebrush plugs to enhance and restore Greater Sage-Grouse habitat.

The endangered Greater Sage-Grouse (or sage-grouse) has suffered from loss and fragmentation of its sagebrush habitat. Since Grasslands National Park (GNP) has the last two active leks (traditional places where males assemble to engage in competitive displays that attract females) in Saskatchewan, it is a high priority site for sage-grouse habitat enhancement. Improving even small areas of habitat can improve the species’ access to food (plants and insects), nest sites, and shelter from predators, leading to a significant boost to their population.

GNP has partnered with the University of Alberta to carry out research on sagebrush steppe habitat restoration, which until now, has received little attention from scientists. Silver sagebrush, the main plant species of this habitat, forms a large portion of the sage-grouse diet and is necessary for nest establishment and successfully raising chicks. As part of this important research, an enthusiastic volunteer crew planted 3,000 small sagebrush plugs to help restore critical habitat. Local ranchers at GNP are also using modified cattle grazing practices to restore and enhance sage-grouse critical habitat. Many other grassland species, including Burrowing Owl, Sage Thrasher, Mountain Plover and Sprague’s Pipit, will also benefit.

Fences present another challenge to sage-grouse and other wildlife; collisions and entanglement with the fence wires often result in injury or death. In 2012, GNP piloted fence marking as a way to minimize wildlife collisions. By placing three-inch lengths of vinyl siding along the top two strands of the barbed wire, the fence is made much more visible to wildlife. Alternating colours of grey and white siding ensure it is visible during all seasons. Fence marking is now a part of regular management activities. By the end of 2015, 33.2 km of fencing had been marked and 28.2 km of fencing had been removed altogether. In 2016, volunteers and staff marked a further 11.5 km of fencing, focusing on areas near sage-grouse critical habitat.

The National Boreal Caribou Technical Committee (NBCTC), composed of federal, provincial, and territorial representatives, was established in 2013 to facilitate collaboration among jurisdictions in achieving the conservation and recovery of boreal caribou, and in implementing the federal Recovery Strategy for the Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), Boreal Population, in Canada (hereafter National Recovery Strategy). The NBCTC provides a forum for jurisdictional experts to come together to discuss challenges and share success stories of boreal caribou management across the country. The Committee also provides an opportunity for provincial and territorial representatives to discuss their approaches to boreal caribou range planning, which will outline the jurisdiction’s plans to manage activities over space and time to protect the critical habitat from destruction.

The National Recovery Strategy calls for range plans to be developed by October 2017, and ECCC has developed guidance to assist jurisdictions in their preparation of these plans. The goal of the NBCTC is to share knowledge, develop strategies, and identify and resolve key technical questions amongst jurisdictions that will help lead to the stabilization and recovery of boreal caribou populations across Canada, and facilitate the implementation of the National Recovery Strategy. In carrying out its work, the NBCTC often draws on the expertise of regional and national scientific experts to ensure that the best available science is applied. To date, the NBCTC has focused its efforts on three main technical areas: 1) restoration of boreal caribou habitat following human-caused disturbances; 2) management approaches to avoid the loss of vulnerable boreal caribou populations; and 3) methods for boreal caribou population monitoring.

Finally, the NBCTC is acting as a review group for new science work being led by ECCC that aims to enhance understanding of the relationship between disturbance and boreal caribou population response in order to identify the best management actions. For example, the results of the new science work may help a jurisdiction to prioritize its management or restoration efforts for different disturbance types. A short description of the new science work for boreal caribou is available on the Species at Risk Public Registry.

Since 2009, the Waterton Lakes fire management team has been pro-actively restoring Whitebark Pine habitat using prescribed fires. Since Whitebark Pine thrive in open, sunny habitats, forest fires can benefit this species by creating open spaces in otherwise dense vegetation. In the past, these fires have been confined to small areas of 1-4 hectares. Then in 2016, a fire covering 15 hectares on Sofa Mountain became the first sizeable prescribed fire specifically designed to restore Whitebark Pine habitat.

The Whitebark Pine grows slowly and may be 80 years old before it produces a substantial crop of cones. Despite its ability to withstand extreme environments, this pine is extremely vulnerable to the white pine blister rust fungus, which can have a lethal effect by blocking the movement of water and nutrients through its trunk and branches. The fungus also causes large cankers to form on the pine, making it more vulnerable to disease and Mountain Pine Beetle infestations. At Waterton Lakes, approximately 80-90% of the stands are infected and the Whitebark Pine population has decreased in size significantly. This downward trend has been observed across its range and consequently, the Whitebark Pine has been listed as endangered under SARA.

Following a forest fire, Whitebark Pine is often one of the first tree species to settle in this area. Over the past one hundred years however, human suppression of forest fires has resulted in Subalpine Fir and Engelmann Spruce crowding out Whitebark Pine as the forest ages. Forest fires also create habitat that attracts the Clark’s Nutcracker by adding nutrients to the soil and by transforming dense vegetation into a sparse forest. This small bird provides a crucial service to the Whitebark Pine by gathering and caching its seeds in preparation for the winter when food is scarce. The nutcracker, however, only ever retrieves about half of the seeds it buries, so those remaining may grow into trees. Based on this ecological understanding, a solution became clear: re-introducing fire to the landscape via a prescribed fire could effectively restore habitat for Whitebark Pine and also support Clark’s Nutcracker.

To prepare for the prescribed fire, staff made a detailed survey to identify any healthy trees, which were then protected from the fire. The local weather conditions were monitored on an hourly basis to identify the optimal time to begin. The main fire was lit using a heli-torch that hung below a helicopter and dropped burning, gelled fuel into the trees below. The existing measures, in addition to rainfall, ensured the fire wouldn’t spread further than intended. The prescribed fire had been a success.

In addition to habitat restoration, ecologists at Waterton Lakes National Park are working to identify and collect the seeds of ‘plus trees’, i.e. those that have shown resistance to the fungus. This scientific work is a cooperative effort. Glacier National Park in the U.S., which shares a border with Waterton Lakes National Park, has been involved by carefully cultivating ‘plus tree’ seeds in the laboratory and sharing them. Just weeks after the prescribed fire on Sofa Mountain, park staff transplanted 950 of these plants in the newly restored habitat. Other partners include the six other mountain national parks, and the British Columbia and Alberta provincial governments.

With support from the HSP Species at Risk Stream, the Forest Management Division of the Government of the Northwest Territories (NWT) undertook a project in 2015–2016 to investigate the combined impact of fire and forestry activity on the SARA-listed Woodland Caribou, Boreal Population (threatened).

Woodland Caribou, Boreal population (Rangifer tarandus caribou) is distributed broadly throughout the boreal forest in Canada. They require large areas of continuous tracts of undisturbed habitat rich in mature to old-growth forest, lichens, muskegs and peatlands. Habitat alteration from human activities and natural sources has led to increased predation by wolves, coyotes and bears, and decreased population sizes and distributions across Canada. In southern NWT, wildland fire is the largest natural source of disturbance, and causes 75% of total alteration to Woodland Caribou habitat in this area. Historically in NWT, oil and gas exploration has been the largest source of human impact to this species. More recently, however, the greatest impact to this species’ habitat has been increased forestry activity. This has led to a need to monitor and manage this activity more sustainably.

Using two existing climate change models (2015–2050 and 2051–2080), the Government of NWT developed landscape projections to investigate the combined impact of wildland fire and forestry activities in southern NWT on Woodland Caribou critical habitat. Landscape projections were carried out in two parts. The first part examined the impact of future timber harvests and fire disturbances, individually, as main factors that disturb Caribou habitat. The second part examined the cumulative effects of these two factors on Woodland Caribou ranges in southern NWT. The results highlight the high degree of uncertainty with regard to the impacts of forest fire, and have stressed the importance of managing timber harvesting activities in Woodland Caribou habitat already disturbed by wildfires.

The project produced valuable information that will inform Government of NWT policies on timber harvesting and wildland fire management and help minimize the impact to critical habitat under varying climate conditions. The results of this study will help forest managers integrate the needs of Woodland Caribou into existing and future timber harvesting plans. The HSP invested $68,450 and the Government of NWT contributed an additional $71,000 for this project.

In Southwestern Ontario, urban, industrial, forestry and agricultural activities can severely impact the health of the aquatic ecosystem of the region. The presence of critical habitat for a variety of species at risk, makes it important to sensitize people in the region to stresses on the natural habitat and the need to act as stewards of the environment.

For years, the Toronto Zoo has run a bilingual aquatic species at risk awareness program for children and educators. In 2015–2016, with support from the HSP (Species at Risk stream), the zoo led a one-year program to update and expand its popular Great Lakes Program, which aims to motivate citizens to become community stewards for aquatic species at risk.  

• The school program was updated and broadened
  The content of the program was updated and presentations were expanded to include Grades 4 and 6, in addition to Grades 1, 2, 7, 8 and 11. A biologist was hired to deliver the program in five priority watersheds in southwestern Ontario. In 2015–2016, the Great Lakes program reached over 19,000 participants in 128 different schools.

• Interactive podcast modules aimed at teachers were created
  Two interactive, web-based teaching modules were created to offer additional resources for educators. The modules were shared with partners in Canada and the U.S.
• A children’s activity booklet about Great Lakes species at risk was created
  The zoo also expanded its Great Lakes public awareness program by developing outreach material for eight aquatic species at risk, including the Eastern Pondmussel (Ligumia nasuta), which is listed as endangered under SARA. Part of the funding was used to create an educational mussel decal for use as part of the Grade 11 teaching program.

In 2015–2016, a two-year project funded, in part, through the AFSAR (Species at Risk Stream) and the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC), was completed. The project brought a species at risk education program to children from the Treaty 4 territory within the Qu’Appelle River Watershed. The slopes and uplands of the Qu’Appelle River Watershed act as vital corridors for a number of species including the SARA-listed Piping Plover (endangered), Burrowing Owl (endangered), Sprague’s Pipit (threatened), and Greater Sage-Grouse (endangered). However, these species are under constant threat from habitat loss and degradation due to human activities.

The NCC partnered with the Treaty 4 Education Alliance, a group that supports the advancement of educational initiatives for the Treaty 4 territory, and led the development of the Learning the Land Program. The program, which includes a native prairie species at risk resource kit and associated teacher’s manual, was developed to help students learn about native prairie ecosystems. NCC also worked with Elders to incorporate traditional knowledge into the educational materials to engage students and community members in on-the-ground species at risk stewardship work.

Through the Learning the Land Program, 260 youth and 92 adults participated in a variety of educational activities in the field, including walks with Elders to identify and learn more about medicinal plants, species identification, habitat surveys, and the use of Global Positioning Systems. This increased knowledge will allow community members to effectively participate in conservation planning and other stewardship activities to improve species at risk habitat. The AFSAR contributed $106,660 in funding, and the NCC and its partners contributed an additional $152,770 to support this project.

The Atlantic Walrus Population in Nunavut is faced with a number of threats including hunting removal, disturbance due to shipping, and declines in seasonal ice habitat due to climate change. Walrus in Nunavut are co-managed under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement. A key challenge in the management of threats to Walrus has been a lack of integrated information respecting walrus stock size and structure, life history, site occupation, movements and hunting mortality.

In the 2015–2016 fiscal year, the AFSAR program awarded Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI) $59,620 to support Atlantic Walrus Traditional Knowledge and Management workshops in Rankin Inlet, Cape Dorset and Kimmirut. Participants included representatives from NTI, DFO, the Kivalliq Wildlife Board, the Qikiqtaaluk Wildlife Board, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, as well as representatives from Nunavut communities and Hunter and Trappers Organizations. The main purpose of the workshops was to bring together walrus knowledge holders and co-management organizations to share information and improve walrus management, look for ways to link science and traditional knowledge and to develop maps of important walrus features (such as feeding, mating and birthing areas, and migration routes) using traditional knowledge.

The workshops included:

• Highlights of the Integrated Fisheries Management Plan for walrus and its development. The plan incorporates scientific and traditional knowledge, and is expected to evolve and improve over time.
• The screening of an educational walrus hunting training video, developed with the support of AFSAR funding in 2014–2015, on best management practices for subsistence walrus harvesting and how to provide experience to youth hunters.
• Round table discussions on the four main topics of walrus hunting, management practices, community concerns related to walrus, and ecological knowledge.
• A presentation by DFO Science on Walrus Traditional Knowledge and Science Integration and a discussion on future science and Inuit/traditional knowledge integration.

Mapping exercises whereby detailed, table-sized maps (produced in collaboration with DFO’s GIS colleagues) were used to assist in collecting traditional knowledge on walrus from members of the community, such as haul outs (historical and current), feeding areas, mating areas, birthing areas, migration routes, hunt locations, and polynyas (areas of open water in sea ice).

For the second consecutive year, DFO and PCA encouraged recreational boaters to adopt good practices on the water to protect the beluga whales of the St. Lawrence. Under the theme “Show you care, keep your distance!” boaters were encouraged to move away from this endangered species to avoid disturbing them.

During the peak tourist season, DFO and PCA raised awareness by patrolling the south shore of the St. Lawrence and the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park.  

In addition, DFO and the Réseau d'observation des mammifères marins (ROMM), a marine mammal ecowatch network, also met with recreational boaters in Rivière-du-Loup, Rimouski, Kamouraska and Saint-Jean-Port-Joli. They spoke with local pleasure boaters from the south shore of the Estuary at special events, such as the Fête des chants marins. The approximately 150 sailing and powerboat enthusiasts who attended these events received floating keychains, and kayakers went away with waterproof pouches with the name of the campaign written on them, as well as a list of best practices. These tokens will serve as reminders of what to do when on the water to avoid disturbing belugas.

The Harlequin Duck (Eastern population) is currently listed as a species of special concern. Its range extends into Nunavut, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Under the management plan developed in 2007, the recovery objectives are to support and augment international efforts to restore and increase populations. Current population data indicates that the population size is increasing, which means the current population trends are consistent with the recovery objectives.

Activities that have been undertaken to better understand the species population and help inform potential recovery actions include:

• Mark/recapture analysis
• Habitat, genetic, diet, and disturbance assessments
• Ban on hunting since 1990 in Atlantic Canada and Quebec
• Stewardship coordinator working with Indigenous Peoples; and
• Education and outreach

The primary cause for the decline of the Harlequin Duck remains unknown. Further research and monitoring activities need to be conducted.

Short-tailed Albatross

The Short-tailed Albatross is listed as threatened under SARA. In Canada, it is a migratory bird found only in British Columbia. The recovery goal is to support and augment international efforts to restore and increase populations. The current population trends are consistent with the recovery goal as the population size continues to grow.

Activities that have informed species recovery actions include:

• Routine sea Ship-of-Opportunity surveys (aboard Coast Guard vessels) to monitor abundance, distribution and seasonality of pelagic seabirds off the west coast of Canada
• Satellite telemetry studies which gather more information about their movement patterns during the breeding and non-breeding seasons, including in Canadian waters
• Production of a database and map of all known sightings of Short-tailed Albatrosses in Canadian and adjacent waters

Red Crossbill percna subspecies

The Red Crossbill percna subspecies, a migratory bird, is currently listed as endangered. The Red Crossbill is largely located in Newfoundland and Labrador, and Quebec. The recovery goals are to prevent the extirpation of the percna subspecies from NL, enhance the population size to a self-sustaining level, and manage sufficient habitat to support a self-sustaining population. Currently the population trends are not consistent with the recovery goals and objectives as populations continue to decline and further habitat loss is expected.

Activities that have been undertaken in the species recovery efforts include:

• Mapping of potential habitat
• Collection of incidental Red Crossbill sightings; and
• Creation of a brochure for use as a public education tool, as well as a means to provide contact information for the public to report any Red Crossbill sightings

There is still much uncertainty regarding the threats, population size, and habitat of the Red Crossbill. The most significant apparent threats are invasive and non-native species, biological resource use, natural system modifications, transportation and service corridors, mining and quarrying, and agriculture. More research and monitoring activities are necessary in order to determine the recovery activities required.

Wavy-rayed Lampmussel

The Wavy-rayed Lampmussel was listed as endangered in 1999 and downlisted to special concern in 2010. This medium-sized mussel has a life span of between ten and twenty years. In Canada, populations are restricted to the upper Grand River and limited section of the Thames, Sydenham and the Ausable rivers in Ontario. Populations are showing signs of improvement; population estimates have risen, area of occupancy has increased two to three fold, and relative abundances have increased from 2-4% to 20-50% in some watersheds.

DFO completed a mussel monitoring program in the Sydenham River which included some ten species including the Wavy-rayed Lampmussel. The data generated from the mussel monitoring program allowed for analysis of trends of mussel density, demographics and distribution over a decade. The analysis will be used to track the response of the SAR mussel community to ongoing recovery efforts across the watershed and is the central monitoring priority of the Sydenham River Action Plan (a multi-species, ecosystem-based plan that addresses the needs of several freshwater mussels and two species of fishes).

Conservation authorities continue to play a vital role in stewardship and public education programs that have resulted in increased awareness of species at risk, and improvements to habitat and water quality throughout the Wavy-rayed Lampmussel range in Ontario.