Species at Risk Act (SARA)

Act: Species at Risk Act (2002, c. 29)

Summary

The Species at Risk Act (SARA) is designed to meet one of Canada's key commitments under the international Convention on Biological Diversity.

The goal of the Act is to prevent endangered or threatened wildlife from becoming extinct or lost from the wild, and to help in the recovery of these species. It is also intended to manage species of special concern and to prevent them from becoming endangered or threatened.

The Species at Risk Act provides a framework for actions across Canada to ensure the survival of wildlife species and the protection of our natural heritage. The Act sets out the process for determining recovery and protection actions. It also identifies ways governments, organizations and individuals can work together, and establishes penalties for failure to obey the law.

Stewardship is an essential part of the cooperative process entrenched in the Act. It brings together landowners, conservationists, governments and other partners to protect species and habitat. Under the Species at Risk Act, stewardship is the first response to protecting the habitats of at-risk species.

List of Species

The Species at Risk Act contains a list of species in what is called Schedule 1. This is the legal list of species to which the law applies as of the date it comes into force. The law protects plants and animals listed in Schedule 1.

Species are put on the list after assessments by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) are considered by the federal government. Operating at arm's length from governments, the Committee has classified species in need of protection for over 25 years.

COSEWIC assessments are published in the SARA Registry.

Definitions of Listed Species

Extinct:

No longer occurring anywhere.

Extirpated:

A species no longer existing in the wild in Canada, but exists elsewhere in the world.

Endangered:

A species facing imminent extirpation or extinction.

Threatened:

A species likely to become endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors leading to extirpation or extinction.

Special Concern:

Those species that are particularly sensitive to human activities or natural events but are not endangered or threatened species.

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this section is of a general nature only and is not intended to constitute advice for any specific fact situation. For particular questions, the users are invited to contact their lawyer. For additional information, see contact(s) listed below.

Quebec Contact(s):
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment Canada
9th Floor
1141, route de l'Église
P.O. Box 10100
Sainte-Foy, Quebec  G1V 4H5
Toll-free (information): 1-800-463-4311
E-mail: quebec.scf@ec.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/index_e.cfm

---

National Contact(s):
Canadian Wildlife Service
Environment Canada
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0H3
Telephone: 819-997-1095
Fax: 819-997-2756
E-mail: cws-scf@ec.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/index_e.cfm
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (EST)

Inquiry Centre of Environment Canada
Environment Canada
Place Montcalm
70 Crémazie Street
Gatineau, Quebec  K1A 0H3
Telephone: 819-997-2800
Fax: 819-994-1412
Toll-free (information): 1-800-668-6767
TTY (hearing impaired): 819-994-0736
E-mail: enviroinfo@ec.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html

Headquarters
Communications Branch
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
13th Floor, Station 13228
Centennial Towers
200 Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario  K1A 0E6
Telephone: 613-993-0999
Fax: 613-990-1866
TTY (hearing impaired): 1-800-465-7735
E-mail: info@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/home-accueil_e.htm
Hours of operation: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday (Eastern time).

National Office
Parks Canada
25 Eddy Street
Gatineau, Quebec  K1A 0M5
Toll-free (information): 1-888-773-8888
E-mail: information@pc.gc.ca
Web site: http://www.pc.gc.ca/index_e.asp