The purpose of this posting is to provide general notice to the public that amendments have been made to Ontario Regulation 230/08 (Species at Risk in Ontario List) in response to a report received by the Minister of Natural Resources from the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) on November 19, 2008. These changes to the Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List were mandatory and are consistent with the Endangered Species Act, 2007.

The Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA 2007) provided for the establishment of a new Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO). COSSARO sits as an independent committee that is responsible for classifying species at risk based on established criteria. In accordance with the ESA 2007, COSSARO may at any time submit a report to the Minister of Natural Resources regarding species that have been assessed and classified.

Where a report submitted to the Minister identifies the need to amend the SARO List, the ESA 2007 requires that the regulation (Ontario Regulation 230/08) be amended within three months.

On November 19, 2008 the Minister of Natural Resources received a report from COSSARO. The Ministry of Natural Resources proceeded with the following amendments to Ontario Regulation 230/08.

The following four species were added to the SARO List: 

• Eastern Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) – Endangered 
• Ogden’s Pondweed (Potamogeton ogdenii) – Endangered 
• Eastern Pondmussel (Ligumia nasuta) – Endangered 
• Red Knot rufa subspecies (Calidris canufus rufa) – Endangered

The following two species were removed from the SARO List: 

• Black Buffalo (Ictiobus niger) – currently listed as Special Concern, changed to Data Deficient 
• Orangespotted Sunfish (Lepomis humilis) – currently listed as Special Concern, but determined to be not eligible

There are four species whose classification on the SARO List was changed: 

• Karner Blue (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) – from Endangered to Extirpated 
• Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) – from Endangered to Extirpated 
• Redside Dace (Clinostomus elongatus) – from Threatened to Endangered 
• American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos) – from Endangered to Threatened

In addition, COSSARO reported that the classifications of the following species on the SARO List remain the same: Blunt-lobed Woodsia (Woodsia obtusa) – Endangered, Round-leaved Greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia) – Threatened, Wood-poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) – Endangered, Northern Brook Lamprey (Ichthyomyzon fossor) – Special Concern, Allegheny Mountain Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus ochrophaeus) – Endangered, Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) – Endangered, Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) – Threatened, Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) – Endangered, and Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) – Special Concern.

COSSARO also reported that there was insufficient information available to classify Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus), Blackfin Cisco (Coregonus nigripinnis) and Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis olivaris). These three species were not added to the SARO List.

None of the new classifications, changes to classifications or removals reported by COSSARO were restricted to a specified geographic area of the province.

In accordance with the provisions of the ESA 2007 the habitat of species newly listed as or changed to Endangered or Threatened is automatically protected once the amended regulation is filed. In addition, the ESA 2007 requires the preparation of recovery strategies within one or two years depending on whether the species is listed as Endangered or Threatened.

Additionally, as required by the ESA 2007, COSSARO has also developed a prioritized list of species to be considered, this list is available at http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/262882.pdf.

The purpose of this notice is to ensure that the public is informed that amendments were made to Ontario Regulation 230/08 (Species at Risk in Ontario List).

The following weblinks provide additional information about this notice: 

• The report from COSSARO to the Minister of Natural Resources received on November 19, 2008 http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Species/2ColumnSubPage/244543.html 
• More information on species at risk in Ontario and COSSARO http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Species/2ColumnSubPage/244543.html 
• SARO List - Ontario Regulation 230/08 http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/english/elaws_regs_080230_e.htm 
• Endangered Species Act 2007 http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_07e06_e.htm  
• Prioritized list of species to be assessed and classified by COSSARO:
  http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/262882.pdf  

Chris Risley
Species at Risk Biologist
Ministry of Natural Resources
Natural Resource Management Division
Fish and Wildlife Branch
Species at Risk
300 Water Street
Peterborough Ontario
K9J 8M5
Phone: (705) 755-1838