Become a Species Watchdog!

When a species is listed, the SARA requires development of a recovery strategy that identifies habitat essential for its survival. Yet the majority of recovery strategies do not identify critical habitat.

Calling all naturalists!

Implementation of the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) is reaching a critical moment:  Over the next few weeks, the government will be releasing recovery strategies for nearly 200 endangered species. We need your help to review these strategies!

The release of these recovery strategies is good news because it means that the legal protection that we fought hard to secure through SARA is beginning to materialize for many species. But we need to make sure that the government's recovery strategies include the identification of each species' critical habitat – and we cannot review them all alone! 

We need volunteers to become a Species Watchdog for each of the listed species for which federal recovery strategies are due.

Recovery strategies for 17 listed species have already been posted for a 60-day comment period and more could be posted at any time. You can review the list of species in need of a watchdog at: http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/plans/timelines_e.cfm

What does a Species Watchdog do?

Step One: Before a Species Recovery Strategy is Posted

• Go to the SARA Public Registry and find a species – or two – whose recovery strategy you’d like to review.
  
  
• If possible, contact someone on the recovery team for that species. Find the names of the recovery team members by going to http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/search/default_e.cfm, searching for your species and clicking on the Recovery Team link.
  
  
• Get help! Identify experts who can help prepare comments. This could be you or someone in the organization you belong to. You can also try to track down a scientist knowledgeable in the area and find out whether they will provide comments to the draft recovery strategy.
  
  
• Visit the SARA Public Registry as frequently as possible (ideally, every other day) to find out when the recovery strategy for the species you want to save is posted.

Step Two: After a Draft Species Recovery Strategy is Posted

• Posting starts a 60-day comment period. 
  
  
• Carefully review your chosen recovery strategy. Use the Nature Canada template for guidance.  It contains a checklist of things to look for in the strategy. The primary things to look for will be: Are the recovery population goals sufficient? Was critical habitat identified to the extent that it was possible to do so, based on available science and the precautionary principle? Have socio-economic interests frustrated science-based mitigation measures?).
  
  
• When you’re ready, send in your comments. This is a public process and everyone has a right to provide input! Here’s how:
  
  
• Go to your species page on the SARA Public Registry and post your comments using the online form there, or mail them to the Contact Person listed on the species page.
  
  
• Alert Nature Canada if you think that the recovery strategy does not meet the requirements of the SARA and might merit a legal challenge. Nature Canada legally challenged the recovery strategy for the piping plover because the strategy did not identify critical habitat, and had important, but still imperfect, revisions added.
  
  
• Copy Nature Canada on your comments so we can keep a record of all submissions and share it with the rest of the conservation community in Canada.

Step Three: Remain Vigilant!

• Revised recovery strategies will be posted to the same SARA Registry. You’re your comments taken into account? Do you have more to say about the revised strategy? You CAN submit comments again!
  
• Alert Nature Canada if comments you submitted on draft recovery strategies were not addressed in approved or final recovery strategies.

Nearly 200 species are depending on Species Watchdogs to ensure a thorough and effective recovery strategy is in place for them. Please become a Species Watchdog!

Contact Nature Canada to volunteer your care and knowledge for monitoring legal protection of a listed species!  Contact Carla Sbert or call 1-800-267-4088 ext. 222 to sign up to the watchdog effort or for more information.