Species at risk public registry
On March 31, 2022, the Government of Canada introduced Bill S-6, An Act respecting regulatory modernization. The Bill proposes amendments to 29 statutes, including targeted amendments to the Species at Risk Act (SARA) that would clarify certain requirements and remove those that are outdated. For more information, see: Bill S-6, An Act respecting regulatory modernization. In this registry you will find documents relating to the administration of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). The act is part of Canada’s strategy to protect hundreds of wild plants and animal species from becoming extinct, and to help in their recovery. Please visit the species at risk sub-topic page to read more about species at risk and the act, the accord and the funding program, and visit our education centre. Help with navigating the Species at Risk Public Registry.
Species
Species search Search species list by range, taxonomy group, risk category or schedule. Schedule 1 - List of wildlife species at Risk Access the official lists of wildlife species at risk (schedules 1, 2 and 3). Species listing process under the Species at Risk Act Measures to Protect Listed Wildlife Species
- Regulations
- Orders
- Permits and agreements
- Policies and guidelines
- Round table reports and Minister's response
- Environmental Assessment Best Practice Guide for Wildlife at Risk in Canada
- Species at Risk Program: Results-Based Management and Accountability Framework and Risk-Based Audit Framework
Parliamentary review
Section 129 of the Species at Risk Act requires Parliament to review the Act five years after that section comes into force.
Status reports
- Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
- General status of wildlife species
- COSEWIC assessments and status reports
- Assessment
Recovery strategies
A recovery strategy is a planning document that identifies what needs to be done to stop or reverse the decline of a species.
Action plans identify the measures to take to implement the recovery strategy for threatened, endangered and extirpated species.
Management plans
Management plans include measures for the conservation of species of special concern and their habitat.
Residence descriptions / rationales
Residence descriptions and rationales describe the dwelling-place such as a den, nest or other similar area or place that is occupied by a species.
Critical habitat orders, reports and statements
Documents on the identification and protection of habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a species.
Recovery guidance handbook (ROMAN) [archived]
Saving the wild; an opportunity to participate in species at risk recovery in Canada
This publication celebrates the tens of thousands of Canadians from all walks of life who are striving to save the wild in Canada.
Identification of critical habitat
Under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), critical habitat (CH) is the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of listed extirpated, endangered, or threatened species, and that is identified as CH in a recovery strategy or action plan. This CH Identification Toolbox is intended to be used by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) recovery practitioners and those who work with ECCC in the development of recovery documents where CH identification is required.
ECCC invites you to familiarize yourself with the process by which ECCC identifies critical habitat for endangered and threatened species.
Recovery document posting plans
Documents detailing multi-year plans for posting recovery documents by Environment Canada, Parks Canada, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Permits
A permit may be required to conduct an activity that could affect a species listed under SARA, or its habitat.
Find a document
Find a document
A requirement of SARA is the establishment of this registry for the purpose of providing easy access to documents relating to matters under the act.
In addition to the documents listed in the previous tabs, this registry contains thousands of documents in 40 categories.
Latest publications and news
Publications
August 2024
- 2024-08-31 Description of critical habitat of Redside Dace in Rouge National Urban Park of Canada
- 2024-08-29 Recovery Strategy and Action Plan for the Channel Darter (Percina copelandi) in Canada (Lake Erie and Lake Ontario populations) [Proposed]
- 2024-08-29 Recovery Strategy for the Louisiana Waterthrush ( Parkesia motacilla ) in Canada [Final version]
- 2024-08-29 Recovery Strategy for the Quebec Rockcress ( Boechera quebecensis ) in Canada [Proposed]
- 2024-08-02 Questions and Answers for Federal Land Managers: Monarch reclassification from “Special Concern” to “Endangered” under the Species at Risk Act
July 2024
- 2024-07-29 Order Summary: Order Amending Schedule 1 to the Species at Risk Act - Eastern Wolf
- 2024-07-29 Recovery Strategy and Action Plan for the Redside Dace ( Clinostomus elongatus ) in Canada
- 2024-07-11 A Species at Risk Act section 11 Conservation Agreement to Support the Recovery of the Southern Resident Killer Whale
- 2024-07-11 Amended Recovery Strategy for the Jefferson Salamander ( Ambystoma jeffersonianum ) and the Unisexual Ambystoma, Jefferson Salamander dependent population ( Ambystoma laterale - (2) jeffersonianum) in Canada [Final version]
- 2024-07-11 Amended Recovery Strategy for the Spotted Owl caurina subspecies ( Strix occidentalis caurina ) in Canada [Proposed]
- 2024-07-11 Management Plan for Pitcher’s Thistle ( Cirsium pitcheri ) in Canada [Final version]
- 2024-07-03 Order Amending Schedule 1 to the Species at Risk Act: SOR/2024-135
June 2024
- 2024-06-29 Notice of intent to develop an emergency order to provide for the protection of Caribou, Boreal population (boreal caribou) in Quebec under section 80 of the Species at Risk Act
- 2024-06-24 Northern Brook Lamprey (Saskatchewan – Nelson River population): Consultations on listing under the Species at Risk Act
- 2024-06-19 Discussion Paper: Proposed scope of an Order under section 80 of the Species at Risk Act to provide for the Protection of Caribou, Boreal population ( Rangifer tarandus )
- 2024-06-19 Addressing Imminent Threats to Boreal Caribou in Quebec – Consultation Survey
News
2024
- 2024-09-06 Supporting habitat stewardship projects for Monarchs and other species at risk in Ontario and across Canada
- 2024-08-30 Government of Canada invests more than $4.9 million to protect significant habitats in Mauricie
- 2024-08-21 Canadian and Colombian Environment Ministers Meet to Share International Leadership Ambition on Nature and Biodiversity
- 2024-08-07 Canada invests over $12.5 million to increase conserved areas primarily in southern Ontario
- 2024-07-18 Protecting nature in British Columbia and across Canada to help fight climate change and protect biodiversity
- 2024-07-08 A Quebec company was fined $12,500 for destroying nests of Bank Swallows, a threatened species
- 2024-07-08 Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador announce new priority place to conserve species at risk
- 2024-06-27 Government of Canada announces funding for Indigenous communities to protect species at risk and their habitats
- 2024-06-20 Canada is supporting habitat stewardship projects for Monarchs and pollinators in southern Ontario
- 2024-06-19 Following the Government of Quebec’s failure, the federal government begins consultations on an emergency order to protect caribou
- 2024-05-16 Federal and Ontario governments agree to significant collaboration on caribou conservation
- 2024-05-10 Government of Canada releases report on national efforts toward Boreal Caribou recovery
- 2024-03-12 Canada and Ontario commit to significant collaboration on shared nature conservation goals
- 2024-03-11 Governments of Canada and Ontario join together to announce funding and collaboration for conservation areas in Ontario
- 2024-03-04 Empowering key regional environmental groups to protect habitats and species at risk in Quebec and across Canada
- 2024-03-04 List of 56 Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk projects 2023–2024
- 2024-02-14 Government of Canada invests $3 million in citizen science and open data for birds and biodiversity
- 2024-01-31 Forty-two Indigenous-led conservation projects across Canada receive federal funding to protect more nature
2022
- 2022-03-31 Bill S-6, An Act respecting regulatory modernization
Consultations
Note: A new online commenting feature is available for all stakeholders wishing to send comments on proposed regulations published in the Canada Gazette.
E-mail newsletter
Subscribe to our e-mail newsletter and receive periodical updates on new items that were added to the public Registry.