Order Summary: Order Amending Schedule 1 to the Species at Risk Act - Eastern Wolf

Information note

This Order Summary is intended to provide general guidance on the Order Amending Schedule 1 to the Species at Risk Act (Eastern Wolf) . The objective of the Order is to support the survival and recovery of the Eastern Wolf (Canis sp. cf. lycaon) through its legal protection on federal land.

The Order was made under section 27 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) and came into force on June 17, 2024. The Order Summary is not a substitute for SARA or its regulations. In the event of any inconsistency between this Order Summary and SARA, the Act prevails. SARA can be found on the Justice Laws Website.

© Michael Cummings
Eastern Wolf on a rock in the forest.

Species status and prohibitions

The Order uplists the Eastern Wolf from a species of special concern to an threatened species on Schedule 1 of SARA (the List of Wildlife Species at Risk).

The Order:

• triggers legal protection for the species on federal lands^{Footnote 1} in Canada given its status as a threatened wildlife species, and it is automatically prohibited to:
• kill, harm, harass, capture or take an individual
• possess, collect, buy, sell or trade an individual or any part or derivative of such; and
• damage or destroy its residence
• establishes the requirement for the Government of Canada to prepare a recovery strategy^{Footnote 2} and action plan. These documents guide the conservation, determine the feasibility of recovery, describe the species, its needs, the threats it is facing, identify critical habitat (the habitat necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species) and the work that can be done to conserve the species
• establishes the requirement for the Government of Canada to consult with appropriate provincial or territorial governments, other federal ministers or competent ministers, wildlife management boards, and First Nation Bands, among others, for any future protections required

Species descriptions and rationale for inclusion in the Order

The Eastern Wolf is a medium-sized wolf with females weighing an average of 24 kilograms (kg) and 29 kg for males. Their fur is often described as reddish-brown/tawny but is highly variable. The species is found mostly in deciduous and mixed forest landscapes with dens located in conifer/hardwood-dominated landscapes near a permanent water source, with their territory size often near 200 km². The wolves live in family-based packs composed of a breeding pair and offspring from the current and previous years. An average of five pups are born from late April to early May and they remain at the den site for 6-8 weeks. Dispersing juveniles leave the pack after 37 weeks. Their diet generally consists of white-tailed deer, moose and beaver. The current distribution of Eastern Wolves is thought to be restricted to the forests of central Ontario and southwestern Quebec, namely the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Forest Region.

The main threat and limiting factor for Eastern Wolves outside protected areas is likely human-caused mortality from hunting and trapping, which is facilitated by road networks. Based on research in Algonquin Provincial Park, excessive mortality likely limits dispersal, and alters pack breeding dynamics, leading to another main threat, gene introgression (hybridization) with Eastern Coyotes (Canis latrans var), due to the lack of available mates of their own species (that is, Eastern wolves). Habitat loss and fragmentation associated with road networks and urbanization is expected to continue outside protected areas and may deter population expansion.^{Footnote 3}

Applying for a permit under SARA

If you plan to undertake activities on the federal land to which the Order applies, and those activities could affect the Eastern Wolf or their residences, then you will need to apply to Environment and Climate Change Canada for an agreement or permit under section 73 of SARA. To learn more about SARA permits and agreements, including how to apply for a permit, visit the Department’s permits and agreements webpage.

An agreement may be entered into, or a permit may be issued, only if:

• the activity is scientific research relating to the conservation of the species and conducted by qualified persons
• the activity benefits the species or is required to enhance its chance of survival in the wild; or
• affecting the species is incidental to the carrying out of the activity

The following pre-conditions must be met:

• all reasonable alternatives to the activity that would reduce the impact on the species have been considered and the best solution has been adopted
• all feasible measures will be taken to minimize the impact of the activity on the species or its residences of its individuals; and
• the activity will not jeopardize the survival or recovery of the species

To apply for a permit, please refer to the Species at Risk Act Permit System.

Offences and punishment under SARA

Enforcement officers designated under SARA may conduct inspections, investigations and search and seizure operations to verify compliance with the law. In the event of a contravention of the Act, SARA provides for penalties, including liability for costs, fines or imprisonment or both, alternative measures agreements, seizure and forfeiture of things seized or of the proceeds of their disposition. For example, under the penalty provision of the Act, a corporation, other than a non-profit corporation found guilty of an indictable offence, could be found liable for a maximum fine of $1,000,000.

For more information

More information on the Order Amending Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act for the Eastern Wolf, including consultation results and socio-economic impacts of the Order, can be found by visiting the Canada Gazette and reading the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement.

For more information, questions or comments concerning Species at Risk programs and activities, please contact:

Environment and Climate Change Canada
Public Inquiries Centre
12th floor, Fontaine Building
200 Sacré-Coeur Boulevard
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3

Tel: (800) 668-6767
E-mail: Enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca