Species at Risk Act (SARA) Consultation, Cooperation and Accommodation Project

Project Overview

This multi-year project will facilitate Indigenous communities’ and organizations’ participation in Environment and Climate Change Canada’s (ECCC) listing and recovery planning processes for terrestrial species as part of implementing the federal Species at Risk Act. CIER’s role is to support a range of activities between Indigenous communities and organizations and ECCC on developing recovery documents, sharing knowledge and language, addressing threats to terrestrial species at risk survival and recovery, and land use planning for species at risk on reserve lands and within traditional territories.

2020-2021 Pilot project:  Prior to the start of the multi-year project, the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER) partnered with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) to undertake a pilot project in British Columbia. This project facilitated Indigenous communities’ and organizations’ participation in federal recovery planning for seven terrestrial Species at Risk: Grizzly Bear, Southern Mountain Caribou, Bank Swallow, Western Screech-Owl, Oregon Forestsnail, American Badger, and Marbled Murrelet. The multi-year project is a continuation of this work. 

Species at Risk List

ECCC is continuously listing and reassessing the status of species under the Species at Risk Act and developing recovery documents for those that are listed as special concern, threatened or endangered. The focus of the SARA Consultation, Cooperation and Accommodation Project is on those species that are actively undergoing the listing process or recovery document development. The list below is subject to change over time.

Tables of species (PDF)

Upcoming Events

Indigenous Nations and Organizations in Southern Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands:

An invitation to your Nation and/or Indigenous organization to attend an in-person Working Together on Terrestrial Species at Risk Workshop and Indigenous Community Open House with staff from Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service (ECCC-CWS) in Victoria, B.C.

Date:  Wednesday, May 8, 2024

Time:   8:30 am – 4:30 pm: Interactive Workshop (by invitation) / 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm: Indigenous Community Open House

Location:  Four Points by Sheraton Victoria Gateway, 829 McCallum Road Victoria, BC

Please RSVP online by April 30^th: For the daytime Workshop and/or Open House, RSVP at: https://yourcier.jotform.com/240857234173053

Recognizing the time and resources it can take to travel to and participate in workshops, we have modest capacity funding available to support your participation in this workshop and open house. ECCC-CWS is partnering with the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER) to provide logistical support to participants. Please contact Reiley Terbasket, CIER Biodiversity Associate, to learn more: [email protected].

Please help us spread the word about the Open House: to your community, organization, and partners.

CWS is not advertising the Open House beyond emails (i.e., in public forums) to help ensure those attending are those you wish to invite to an informal gathering where respectful conversations can take place in a good way. Attached you will find a poster, which you are most welcome to use to help get the word out.

Victoria Official Invitation / Agenda / Victoria Open House Poster

Mission Monarch Expert Training Program AND Butterfly and Habitat Surveys Overview

April 3, 2024: 1:00 – 2:00pm EST 

View the presentation here:

Mission Monarch – Expert Introduction to the Monitoring Protocol (2024) / Mission monarque – Expert Introductio

Canada Wildlife Services (CWS) in cooperation with CIER is creating a Mission Monarch Expert Training Program AND Butterfly and Habitat Surveys Overview. It will provide training for interested Indigenous communities in Monarch monitoring and surveys in their territories. Training is free, and will be provided through Mission Monarch Expert, in Montreal.  Following the training, ECCC will provide funding for communities for the monitoring who will complete surveys throughout the summer. The application form needs to be submitted first to receive funding.

Workshop Registration / Monarch and Habitat Monitoring Application / Application de surveillance du monarque et de son habitat

---

On this webpage you will find the materials shared at the sessions included in this project (e.g., SARA overview sessions, species specific workshops, training sessions, information sharing sessions, funding application forms). You will also find helpful species at risk related tools and resources. Click on the topic headings to see a drop-down list of the associated resources.

Contact

Kat Hewitt, Project Manager, CIER ([email protected])
Kate Cave, Senior Project Manager, CIER ([email protected])
Jean Polfus, Southern Mountain Caribou Project Lead, ([email protected])
Undiné Thompson, Senior Consultation Biologist, ECCC-CWS for questions related to any other species ([email protected])