SARA Guidelines for Completing Recovery Strategy Templates

Species at Risk Act
Implementation Guidance
-DRAFT-
Guidelines for Completing Recovery Strategy Templates (federal)
November 2007

- As drafted by Environment Canada -

Guidelines on Identifying and Mitigating Threats to Species at Risk (24/11/05)

Guidelines for Completing Recovery Strategy Templates (federal)

CONTEXT

The federal government, through the competent Ministers, must prepare a recovery strategy for all extirpated, endangered, and threatened species listed under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). To ensure consistency and compliancy with SARA policies and guidelines, a recovery strategy template has been developed. What follows is guidance for using the companion ‘SARA Recovery Strategy Template’ to complete a federal Recovery Strategy for a listed species at risk.[1]

SARA allows competent ministers to adopt existing documents, in part or in whole, as recovery strategies under SARA. The federal guidance and template have the same content as the national versions for the provinces and territories, with the addition of introductory sections that may be modified. Provinces and territories may have slightly different ways of presenting their information. This is particularly relevant for the introductory pages (cover page to the table of contents). The competent Minister will add an addendum to an adopted management plan to complete or clarify any mandatory elements and ensure that the document is SARA compliant prior to posting on the SARA Public Registry.

Formatting requirements also could vary from one jurisdiction to another. In this guidance, the default standard is the SARA template.

Wherever recovery strategies are referred to, they include reference to any associated Addenda.

GETTING STARTED

See the ‘Policy on the Feasibility of Recovery’ for guidance on determining whether recovery is, or is not, technically and biologically feasible for the species.

For species in which recovery has been found to be ‘NOT feasible’, a recovery strategy is still required. Use the separate ‘not feasible’ recovery strategy template and the corresponding sections from this guidance to complete it.

If the competent minister determines that the recovery of the listed wildlife species is not feasible, the recovery strategy must include a description of the species and its needs, an identification of the species critical habitat to the extent possible, and the reasons why its recovery is not feasible. [SARA S.41(2)].

See Appendix A for information on how the guidance differs for recovery strategies in which recovery of the species is not feasible.

To complete the Recovery Strategy, you should obtain the appropriate policies, guidelines, and fact sheets, as required:

  • Policy on the Feasibility of Recovery
  • Formatting Specifications for SARA Recovery Planning Documents
  • Strategic Environmental Assessment and Recovery Strategy Fact Sheet
  • Guidelines on Identifying and Mitigating Threats to Species at Risk
  • Guidelines on Establishing Recovery Goals and Objectives
  • Technical Guidelines for Identifying Critical Habitat

These documents can be found in the guidance section on the Recovery Information Management System (RIMS): Specifically, they can be found under the ‘Preparing a Recovery Planning Document’ (guidelines, etc) and ‘Preparing a Recovery Strategy (templates)’ categories within the ROMAN subdirectory in the Guidance section (tab on the left side of main homepage)..

The SARA standard is outlined in the guide on ‘Formatting Specifications for SARA Recovery Planning Documents’. These formatting specifications have already been set in the recovery strategy templates.

Recommended lengths are provided for most sections as a general guide to how long these sections should be. As all species are different, any given recovery strategy will vary in length. The objective is to produce a strategy with sufficient appropriate information, but to be concise and provide just that which is necessary. For some sections in which a tabular format is used, the structure will be fairly fixed but the length will vary depending on the number of components (e.g., number of threats or recovery objectives).

The writing style or tone should generally be that of the active voice (i.e., “will be”, “is”, or “are”, rather than “should be” or “could be”).

Lack of full knowledge of a species is a common feature for most recovery strategies. This should not impede development of a well-constructed strategy, but it can be useful to indicate the level of certainty or confidence where appropriate.

Although thesingular is used throughout thegeneric recovery strategy template and guide,it should also be taken to refer to the plural where appropriate (i.e., when dealing with more than one species, ecosystem,habitat, etc.)by making the appropriate adjustments.

Species names:

  • The scientific and common names used for the species should be those used in the COSEWIC web site: Inside the website, fill in and submit the appropriate search information, then click on the ‘Details’ button for the desired species.
  • The common name and the scientific name should be provided for all other species mentioned in the document.

Outside cover:

  • Use cover template.
  • Indicate the stage of development in the top left corner:

‘Draft’ – document in development,

‘Proposed’ – after document has met SARA-compliancy requirements, or

‘Final’ – approved version that is placed on the Public Registry after 60 day comment period.

  • Fill in the species common name and scientific name in the locations highlightedwith appropriate specifications as indicated in the example below of the title format.
  • Insert an illustration or photo of the species (credited accordingly) that will photocopy well.
  • Fill in the year on the cover in the lower right corner.

Inside cover:

  • Use Recovery Strategy Series introduction page in template. Do not alter.

Title Page:

  • Fill in the species common name and scientific name in the locations highlighted with appropriate specifications as indicated in the example below of title format.
  • Indicate after the title if this is a ‘Draft’, ‘Proposed’, or ‘Final’ version of the document, as per instructions for outside cover (above).
  • Fill in the yearwhen this version was completed (below the title where indicated).
  • An illustration or photo of the species (credited accordingly),that will photocopy well, may be inserted in the space below the date.

Example of title format:

Recovery Strategy for the Species Common Name (Scientific Name), specify population or other COSEWIC sub-category of assessment as appropriate, specify “in Canada” when the strategy is the Canadian component of a joint Canada-US recovery effort or when it covers the whole COSEWIC range, or otherwise specify geographic area when the strategy is for part of the range of a COSEWIC species[DRAFT, PROPOSED, or FINAL]

Inside Title Page:

Provide the Recommended citation (see example below).

  • Indicateafter the title if this is a ‘Draft’, ‘Proposed’, or ‘Final’ version of the document, as per instructions for outside cover (above).
  • Indicate the number of introductory pages (e.g., vii) and pages in the main body (e.g., 22).

Example of citation format:

SARA Responsible Agency. 2008. Recovery Strategy for the Species Common Name (Species Scientific Name) in Canada [Proposed]. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. SARA Responsible Agency. Ottawa xx+XX pp.

  • Provide the credit for the cover illustration or photo.

The SARA responsible agency will:

  • Add the French title once the final document has been translated.
  • Indicate the competent minister for the © (e.g., Minister of the Environment).
  • Add the ISBN and Catalogue numbers just prior to finalizing the document.

Document Sections:

1 – Cover page

2 – Inside cover page, title page, and inside title page

3 – Declaration (page i) to Table of Contents (page v)

4 – Main body (page 1 to end)

Section breaks are already set in template between each section

Header:

  • Fill in the species common name for the header title, “Recovery Strategy for the Species Common Name” and the year when this version was completed in the first header of section 3. Make certain the year is on the same line as the species name and at the far right side of the page.

Footer (already set in template):

  • Starting on first page of section 3, number the bottom right hand corner with i, ii, iii system.
  • Starting on first page of section 4, number the bottom right hand corner with 1, 2, 3 system.

DECLARATION

Use the declaration exactly as provided in the template:

  • Fill in the species’ common name where indicated.
  • If the Minister of the Environment is not the competent minister, replace highlighted EC with DFO. Remove all remaining highlights.

RESPONSIBLE JURISDICTIONS

List only the SARA responsible agency for this species, the SARA-responsible federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, and wildlife management boards that participated in the development of the recovery strategy.

Example of Responsible Jurisdictions:

Environment Canada

Parks Canada Agency

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Government of Province or Territory (e.g., Government of Alberta)

Wildlife Management Board/Council (e.g., Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board or Nunavut Wildlife Management Board

AUTHORS

List the names and affiliations of the authors of the recovery strategy.

Example of Authors:

Brian Johns – Canadian Wildlife Service

Tom Stehn – United States Fish and Wildlife Service

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It is customary to acknowledge those who assisted in developing the strategy, (e.g., reviewers, sources of funding, support of landowners, etc.). Those who were consulted or who cooperated in the process also should be thanked.

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT STATEMENT

[to be completed by SRA]

Begin this section on a new page.

Complete the Strategic Environmental Assessment Statement provided in the template and indicate whether the benefits will be positive or negative. Remove the section and text that is not used.

See the ‘Strategic Environmental Assessment and Recovery Strategy Fact Sheet’ for guidance.

RESIDENCE

Use the residence text exactly as provided in the template. Do not alter.

PREFACE [to be completed by SRA]

Length: 2 paragraphs

Introductory text added by SARA Responsible Agency that:

  • Explains the relationship between the responsible jurisdictions (governments or wildlife management boards), the federal government, the competent minister, and the recovery team (development or adoption of the strategy);
  • Describes the development process of the document (e.g. cooperation and consultation effort);
  • Clarifies the relationship with any other strategies or action plans that have been prepared for the species; and
  • For species in which recovery has been found to be not feasible, include who was involved in making that decision.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Length: 1 page

Begin this section on a new page. Summarize the highlights of the recovery strategy. Use plain language suitable for the general public.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Use the Table of Contents tool provided by Word; see ‘Formatting specifications for SARA recovery planning documents’ for guidance on numbering system and font. These are set automatically in the template.

For Example: Table of contents for this guidance document

CONTEXT

GETTING STARTED

DECLARATION

RESPONSIBLE JURISDICTIONS

AUTHORS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT STATEMENT

RESIDENCE

PREFACE [to be completed by SRA]

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.BACKGROUND

1.1Species Assessment Information from COSEWIC

1.2Description of the Species [Required]

1.3Populations and Distribution [Required]

1.4Needs of the Species Common Name

1.4.1Habitat and biological needs [Required]

1.4.2Ecological role [Recommended]

1.4.3Limiting factors [Recommended]

1.5Threats [Required]

1.5.1Threat classification

1.5.2Description of threats

1.6Actions Already Completed or Underway [Optional]

1.7Knowledge Gaps [Required]

2.RECOVERY

2.1Recovery Feasibility [Required]

2.2Recovery Goal [Recommended]

2.3Population and Distribution Objective(s) [Required]

2.4Recovery Objectives [Required]

2.5Approaches Recommended to Meet Recovery Objectives [Required]

2.5.1Recovery Planning

2.5.2Narrative to support Recovery Planning Table

2.6Performance Measures [Required]

2.7Critical Habitat [Required]

2.7.1Identification of the species’ critical habitat

2.7.2Examples of activities likely to result in destruction of critical habitat

2.7.3Schedule of studies to identify critical habitat

2.8Existing and Recommended Approaches to Habitat Protection [Optional]

2.9Effects on Other Species [Required]

2.10Recommended Approach for Recovery Implementation [Optional] [To be finalized by lead jurisdictions]

2.11Statement on Action Plans [Required]

3.REFERENCES [Recommended]

4.RECOVERY TEAM MEMBERS [Recommended]

APPENDIX A: Differences in guidance for species in which recovery is not feasible

APPENDIX B: Examples of recovery planning tables

APPENDIX C: Examples of performance measures

APPENDIX D: Examples of schedules of studies to identify critical habitat

  1. BACKGROUND

A description of the species and its needs that is consistent with the information provided by COSEWIC [SARA, S.41(1)(a)].

Length: Entire Background section should be less than 1/3rd of document

1.1Species Assessment Information from COSEWIC

Fill in the ‘COSEWIC box’provided in the template using information from the COSEWIC web site: Inside the website, fill in and submit the appropriate search information, then click on the ‘Details’ button for the desired species. Complete one box per species covered in the recovery strategy.

1.2Description of the Species [Required]

Length: 1 paragraph

How will a landowner, for example, recognize the species? Describe it briefly in plain language.

1.3Populations and Distribution[Required]

Length: 1 page; length may vary depending on size and number of maps

Briefly summarize the current global and Canadian distribution and abundance of the species. Refer to the technical summary from the COSEWIC report regarding extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, population information, and rescue effect, but include new information as well.Summarize G-rank and S-ranks in states and provinces in which the species occurs. Estimate the percent of the species’ global distribution and/or abundance currently found in Canada. It is essential also to provide a summary of the historical distribution and abundance of the species in Canada. Estimate the rate of change in geographical distribution and/or populations in Canada over a given period (e.g., percent of historical range lost in the last 50 years; percent difference between historical and current abundance in the last 10 years or 3 generations; proportion of populations that have been extirpated within the historical record). If historical data are not available, include a statement indicating that this is the case. This section also should provide basic land tenure information (e.g. % distribution or site-specific information for federal (department), provincial/territorial (crown or crown-leased), aboriginal, and/or private land).

Use of a table may be more concise and easier to read and interpret, if the data and information are conducive to being presented in a tabular format.

[Recommended]: Provide a map of the current global distribution, if the species occurs outside of Canada, and a map of the current and historical Canadian distribution.

1.4Needs of theSpecies Common Name

Length: 1 page (2 pages maximum) for entire section

1.4.1Habitat and biological needs [Required]

Briefly describe the general environmental setting where the species occurs. This could include information on the ecosystem/ecoregion/ecozone, climate, and soils.

Briefly describe the biotic and abiotic features of the habitat that provide for the basic needs of the species (space, food, and cover) throughout its life cycle (egg / embryo / seed / propagule; sub-adult / immature, adult…) and annual cycle (territory, staging, reproduction, migration, overwintering…). For example, for migratory birds this may include requirements for breeding and non-breeding populations during the summer, during migration, over-wintering, and feeding.

1.4.2Ecological role[Recommended]

Outline any key ecological roles this species plays or important symbiotic relationships with other species. Examples could include; endemic or rare species in an unique habitat (describe important functions it might play), dominant species which may act as a source of food/pollen or shelter, early successional species that may play an important role in colonizing new or disturbed site (describe role), important prey or predator species (describe function and links with other species), key symbiotic relationships (describe).

1.4.3Limiting factors [Recommended]

Are there any biologically limiting factors? These would be intrinsic or evolved characteristics of the species’ life history or ecology that may influence recovery potential. It is important to distinguish between limiting factors and threats. Examples of limiting factors include; late age of maturity, low reproductive rate, biennial reproduction, pollinator dependency, vector-reliant dispersal, intermittent juvenile recruitment, rigid behaviour pattern, reliance on specific disturbance regimes or certain successional stages, limited dispersal ability, very specific habitat requirements with limited availability (e.g., extreme edge of species’ range or very specific hydrological regime), strong fidelity to traditional gestation, birthing, or over-wintering sites, extremely isolated small population(s), dormancy requirements, and mycorrhizal associations.

1.5Threats [Required]

An identification of the threats to the survival of the species and threats to its habitat that is consistent with information provided by COSEWIC, and a description of the broad strategy to be taken to address those threats.[SARA, S.41(1)(b)]

Length: 1-2 pages; this is an important section in which the length will vary depending on the number of threats and the description required to define them.

See ‘Guidelines on Identifying and Mitigating Threats to Species at Risk’ for guidance and examples of threat descriptions and the threat classification table.

Be sure to address all threats discussed in the COSEWIC status report, but do not hesitate to re-evaluate or add to the threats identified in the status report, including supporting evidence where possible.

1.5.1Threat classification

TableX. Threat Classification Table

Complete one of the tables provided in the template using the ‘Guidelines on Identifying and Mitigating Threats to Species at Risk’ for guidance and examples. Use one section of the table for each threat and prioritize the threats by significance, starting with the greatest threat to the survival of the species based on the strongest evidence.