Emergency order for the protection of the Western Chorus Frog in Longueuil, Quebec

Key findings from the strategic environmental assessment (SEA) conducted for the Emergency Order of the Protection of the Western chorus frog Great Lakes / St. Lawrence – Canadian Shield Population (Longueuil) (Emergency Order).

The objective of the Emergency Order is to provide protection to the Western Chorus Frog in Longueuil, Quebec. The Emergency Order came into force on the day of its registration, on November 20, 2021. The Emergency Order is designed to address the threats to the recovery of the Western Chorus Frog metapopulation in Longueuil, Quebec posed by urban development activities. The metapopulation in Longueuil is important to the sustainability of the species in the province of Quebec, owing to the extent of the area it occupies and the number and quality of the breeding habitats it contains. The purpose of the Emergency Order is to provide immediate protection to the species by preventing further loss or degradation of the habitat required for the survival of the metapopulation in Longueuil. Today, the Western Chorus Frog occupies only 10% of its historical range in the Montérégie region. The species is listed as threatened under the Species at Risk Act (SARA).  Efforts to recover a given species, notably the Western Chorus Frog metapopulation in Longueuil, contribute to overall biodiversity, the maintenance of which is essential for healthy ecosystems, human health, prosperity and well-being.

In accordance with the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals, a SEA was conducted for the Order. The SEA concluded that the Order would have important positive environmental effects. Specifically, through the list of prohibited activities in this area of high ecological value, the Order is expected to directly support the following goal of the 2019–2022 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy “Healthy Wildlife Populations – All species have healthy and viable populations.” The Emergency Order supports the goal’s medium-term target, “[b]y 2020, species that are secure remain secure and populations of species at risk listed under federal law exhibit trends that are consistent with recovery strategies and management plans.” The objective of the Order supports the Canadian Biodiversity Strategy, which recognizes the importance of protecting the habitats of species at risk as a key component of conserving biological diversity. The protection of habitat by the Order will also contribute to the 2030 Agenda, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 15 – “Life on Land.”

For more information related to the Emergency Order for the Protection of the Western Chorus Frog Great Lakes / St. Lawrence - Canadian Shield Population (Longueuil), please consult the Species at Risk Public Registry.

Page details

Date modified: