7/27/2019 July 4 Presentation to Peter Kent
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1 1
Environment Environnement
. anada anada d
ana a
Briefing to Minister s Office Staff
on the Western Chorus Frog
Canadian
Wildlife
Service
ul 4 2013
ext
7/27/2019 July 4 Presentation to Peter Kent
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Objectives
Ta provide information on the Western Chorus Frog Great Lakes/St.
Lawrence-Canadian Shield population).
o
provide information on petitions to recommend an emergency
order pursuant to section 80 of SARA to protect the Western Chorus
Frog
n
La Prairie, Quebec.
To provide information
on
media coverage concerning the Western
Chorus Frog
n
Quebec.
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Description of the Western horus Frog
The Western Chorus Frog is a small amphibian which measures about 2.5 cm
long and weighs about 1 g as n adult.
The Western Chorus Frog occupies a variety
of
lowland habitats with an open
or discontinuous canopy e.g. clearings, flooded meadows, fallow land,
shrubland, etc.), where slight depressions may allow the formation of
wetlands e.g. marshes, swamps, drainage ditches) that generally dry out
in
summer.
From late March to late August, individuals occupy temporary wetlands for the
breeding, namely because predation pressure is lower in wetlands of small
dimension that are generally physically isolated from the hydrologie network.
Foraging and other activities ex. rest) usually occurs on terrestrial habitats
within a 250 to 300-m radius of breeding habitats.
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Distribution
o
the Western horus Frog
The Western Chorus Frog is found
in
Quebec
nq in
Ontario.
ln Quebec, the species
is
found
in
2 regions:
in
the Outaouais region along a
1
OO-km
band that stretches east to west along the Ottawa River between
Gatineau and Grand Calumet Island;
in
the Montrgie region within a 20-km-
wide strip between the municipalities of Beauharnais to the south and
Contrecoeur to the north.
ln Ontario, the Western Chorus Frog GLSLCS)
is
more widespread,
extending from the United States border to the Georgian Bay, south of
Algonquin Park
in
the Frontenac Axis and up the Ottawa Valley to Eaganville.
Populations
in
Quebec have declined at a rate of
37/o
over 10 years and are
expected to continue to decline. Despite there being some areas where chorus
frogs remain evident, surveys
o
populations
in
Ontario indicate a significant
decline
in
abundance
o
30/o over the past decade.
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Status
o
the Western horus Frog
The Western Chorus Frog Great Lakes/St. Lawrence-Canadian Shield
population) was assessed as threatened by the Committee
on
the Status of
Endangered Wildlife in Canada COSEWIC) in 2008 because of ongoing
lasses o habitat and breeding sites due to suburban expansion and alteration
in farming practices which have resulted in lasses
o
populations and isolation
o
remaining habitat patches.
The species was listed with the same status
on
Schedule 1
o
the Species at
Risk Act SARA)
in 2 1
O
A national recovery strategy
is
to be posted
on
the Species at Risk Public
Registry
in
2013. The final posting
is
expected late fall, after consultations with
Ontario and Quebec and after a public consultation
o
60 days.
ln Quebec, the species is listed as vulnerable under the Act respecting
threatened or vulnerable species since 2001.
ln
Ontario, the species
is
not
listed under the Endangered Species Act.
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etitions
ln the past few months, 2 citizens and Nature Qubec sent petitions to the
Minister to recommend to the Governor
in
Council that
an
emergency order
be issued pursuant to section 80
o
SARA to protect the Western Chorus Frog
in
La Prairie, Quebec (MIN-167227)
The petitions contend that the municipality
o
La
Prairie plans to destroy a
significant portion
o
the habitat of the Western Chorus Frog for residential
development and raise questions with respect to the Government of Quebec s
actions to protect the species.
To properly assess the status and trend of the Western Chorus Frog and
management actions underway to protect and conserve the species,
information from the province
is
important. However, the Minister will draw his
independent opinion and will not be bound by the provided by the
province.
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30
2014
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Media overage
Nature Qubec released a media advisory
in
May 2013 concerning their
petition sent to the Minister. Around ten provincial and regional media have
used this information
in
their communications.
Since the 1990 s, there has been broad media coverage
in
the regions
o
Laval, Boucherville, Longueil, St.Hubert and at the national level {The
Gazette, Le Devoir, La
Presse, Le Soleil) concerning the loss
o
wetlands and
the decline
o
the Western Chorus Frog.
Generally; the media criticized the lack of provincial regulations to preserve
wetlands from the extensive residential development
in
southwestern Quebec
and the lack
o
intervention by provincial and municipal to protect the Western
Chorus Frog. Since 2010, a few media also reported
on
projects undertaken
by municipalities to protect the Western Chorus Frog.
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Annex Emergency Orders under SARA
section 80
Recovery'' for a species at risk is typically described in a recovery strategy. The national recovery
strategy for the Western Chorus Frog has not been completed, thus recovery objectives have not
yet been defined for this species. As SARA promotes a precautionary approach to species
conservation, it includes provisions
in
section
8
for emergency orders
in
advance of the normal
recovery strategy process. Section
8
requires that, i f the competent Minister is of the opinion that
there is an imminent threat to the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species, the Minister must
recommend to the Governor
in
Council to make an emergency order to provide for the protection
of
a listed wildlife species.
With respect to the use of
emergency orders for the protection
of
a listed wildlife species, the draft
SARA Polic.ies state that the competent Minister will consider whether:
A serious, sudden decline in the species' population and/or habitat that jeopardizes the survival
or
recovery
of
the
species is in progress and is anticipated ta continue unless immediate protective acti.ons are taken;
There is a strong indication
of
impending danger
or
harm to the species
or
its habitat, with inadequate
or
no
mitigation measures
in
place ta address the threat, such that the survival
or
recovery
ofth
species is at risk;
or
,
One
or
more gaps have been identified in the existing suite
of
protection measures for the species that will
jeopardize its survival
or
recovery, and it is not possible ta achieve protection by other means
in
a timely fashion.
The Governor in Council may consider a broad range
of
factors, including socio-economic
implications,
in
determining whether to make
an
emergency order to provide for the protection
of
a
listed wildlife species. Information from the province is important to properly assess the need for an
emergency order.
Page May 30, 2014
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