7/27/2019 July 4 Presentation to Peter Kent

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1 1

Environment Environnement

. anada anada d

ana a

Briefing to Minister s Office Staff

on the Western Chorus Frog

Canadian

Wildlife

Service

ul 4 2013

ext

7/27/2019 July 4 Presentation to Peter Kent

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Objectives

Ta provide information on the Western Chorus Frog Great Lakes/St.

Lawrence-Canadian Shield population).

o

provide information on petitions to recommend an emergency

order pursuant to section 80 of SARA to protect the Western Chorus

Frog

n

La Prairie, Quebec.

To provide information

on

media coverage concerning the Western

Chorus Frog

n

Quebec.

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Description of the Western horus Frog

The Western Chorus Frog is a small amphibian which measures about 2.5 cm

long and weighs about 1 g as n adult.

The Western Chorus Frog occupies a variety

of

lowland habitats with an open

or discontinuous canopy e.g. clearings, flooded meadows, fallow land,

shrubland, etc.), where slight depressions may allow the formation of

wetlands e.g. marshes, swamps, drainage ditches) that generally dry out

in

summer.

From late March to late August, individuals occupy temporary wetlands for the

breeding, namely because predation pressure is lower in wetlands of small

dimension that are generally physically isolated from the hydrologie network.

Foraging and other activities ex. rest) usually occurs on terrestrial habitats

within a 250 to 300-m radius of breeding habitats.

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Distribution

o

the Western horus Frog

The Western Chorus Frog is found

in

Quebec

nq in

Ontario.

ln Quebec, the species

is

found

in

2 regions:

in

the Outaouais region along a

1

OO-km

band that stretches east to west along the Ottawa River between

Gatineau and Grand Calumet Island;

in

the Montrgie region within a 20-km-

wide strip between the municipalities of Beauharnais to the south and

Contrecoeur to the north.

ln Ontario, the Western Chorus Frog GLSLCS)

is

more widespread,

extending from the United States border to the Georgian Bay, south of

Algonquin Park

in

the Frontenac Axis and up the Ottawa Valley to Eaganville.

Populations

in

Quebec have declined at a rate of

37/o

over 10 years and are

expected to continue to decline. Despite there being some areas where chorus

frogs remain evident, surveys

o

populations

in

Ontario indicate a significant

decline

in

abundance

o

30/o over the past decade.

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Status

o

the Western horus Frog

The Western Chorus Frog Great Lakes/St. Lawrence-Canadian Shield

population) was assessed as threatened by the Committee

on

the Status of

Endangered Wildlife in Canada COSEWIC) in 2008 because of ongoing

lasses o habitat and breeding sites due to suburban expansion and alteration

in farming practices which have resulted in lasses

o

populations and isolation

o

remaining habitat patches.

The species was listed with the same status

on

Schedule 1

o

the Species at

Risk Act SARA)

in 2 1

O

A national recovery strategy

is

to be posted

on

the Species at Risk Public

Registry

in

2013. The final posting

is

expected late fall, after consultations with

Ontario and Quebec and after a public consultation

o

60 days.

ln Quebec, the species is listed as vulnerable under the Act respecting

threatened or vulnerable species since 2001.

ln

Ontario, the species

is

not

listed under the Endangered Species Act.

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etitions

ln the past few months, 2 citizens and Nature Qubec sent petitions to the

Minister to recommend to the Governor

in

Council that

an

emergency order

be issued pursuant to section 80

o

SARA to protect the Western Chorus Frog

in

La Prairie, Quebec (MIN-167227)

The petitions contend that the municipality

o

La

Prairie plans to destroy a

significant portion

o

the habitat of the Western Chorus Frog for residential

development and raise questions with respect to the Government of Quebec s

actions to protect the species.

To properly assess the status and trend of the Western Chorus Frog and

management actions underway to protect and conserve the species,

information from the province

is

important. However, the Minister will draw his

independent opinion and will not be bound by the provided by the

province.

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Media overage

Nature Qubec released a media advisory

in

May 2013 concerning their

petition sent to the Minister. Around ten provincial and regional media have

used this information

in

their communications.

Since the 1990 s, there has been broad media coverage

in

the regions

o

Laval, Boucherville, Longueil, St.Hubert and at the national level {The

Gazette, Le Devoir, La

Presse, Le Soleil) concerning the loss

o

wetlands and

the decline

o

the Western Chorus Frog.

Generally; the media criticized the lack of provincial regulations to preserve

wetlands from the extensive residential development

in

southwestern Quebec

and the lack

o

intervention by provincial and municipal to protect the Western

Chorus Frog. Since 2010, a few media also reported

on

projects undertaken

by municipalities to protect the Western Chorus Frog.

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Annex Emergency Orders under SARA

section 80

Recovery'' for a species at risk is typically described in a recovery strategy. The national recovery

strategy for the Western Chorus Frog has not been completed, thus recovery objectives have not

yet been defined for this species. As SARA promotes a precautionary approach to species

conservation, it includes provisions

in

section

8

for emergency orders

in

advance of the normal

recovery strategy process. Section

8

requires that, i f the competent Minister is of the opinion that

there is an imminent threat to the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species, the Minister must

recommend to the Governor

in

Council to make an emergency order to provide for the protection

of

a listed wildlife species.

With respect to the use of

emergency orders for the protection

of

a listed wildlife species, the draft

SARA Polic.ies state that the competent Minister will consider whether:

A serious, sudden decline in the species' population and/or habitat that jeopardizes the survival

or

recovery

of

the

species is in progress and is anticipated ta continue unless immediate protective acti.ons are taken;

There is a strong indication

of

impending danger

or

harm to the species

or

its habitat, with inadequate

or

no

mitigation measures

in

place ta address the threat, such that the survival

or

recovery

ofth

species is at risk;

or

,

One

or

more gaps have been identified in the existing suite

of

protection measures for the species that will

jeopardize its survival

or

recovery, and it is not possible ta achieve protection by other means

in

a timely fashion.

The Governor in Council may consider a broad range

of

factors, including socio-economic

implications,

in

determining whether to make

an

emergency order to provide for the protection

of

a

listed wildlife species. Information from the province is important to properly assess the need for an

emergency order.

Page May 30, 2014