Butternut. Ontario Government Response Statement. Ministry of Natural Resources. Protecting and recovering SPecieS at risk in ontario

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1 Miistry of Natural Resources Butterut Otario Govermet Respose Statemet Photo: David Smith Protectig ad recoverig SPecieS at risk i otario Species at risk recovery is a key part of protectig Otario s biodiversity. Biodiversity the variety of livig orgaisms o Earth provides us with clea air ad water, food, fibre, medicie ad other resources that we eed to survive. The Edagered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) is the Govermet of Otario s legislative commitmet to protectig ad recoverig species at risk ad their habitats. As soo as a species is listed as extirpated, edagered or threateed uder the ESA, it is automatically protected from harm or harassmet. Also, immediately upo listig, the habitats of edagered ad threateed species are protected from damage or destructio. Uder the ESA, the Miistry of Natural Resources (the Miistry) must esure that a recovery strategy is prepared for each species that is listed as edagered or threateed. A recovery strategy provides sciece-based advice to govermet o what is required to achieve recovery of a species. govermet respose StateMetS Withi ie moths after a recovery strategy is prepared, the ESA requires the Miistry to publish a statemet summarizig the govermet s iteded actios ad priorities i respose to the recovery strategy. The recovery strategy for the Butterut (Juglas cierea) was completed o May 31, 2013 ( species/documets/documet/mr_sar_rs_bttrt_e.pdf). Butterut is a mediumsized tree i the walut family that grows up to 30 m i height ad 116 cm i diameter. Butterut leaves are made up of 11 to 17 leaflets. Youg trees have smooth, grey bark, which becomes ridged as the trees age. Mature trees produce large, edible uts i the fall, each cotaiig a sigle seed. The respose statemet is the govermet s policy respose to the scietific advice provided i the recovery strategy. All recommedatios provided i the recovery strategy were cosidered ad this respose statemet idetifies those that are cosidered to be appropriate ad ecessary for the protectio ad recovery of the species. I additio to the strategy, the respose statemet is based o iput from stakeholders, other jurisdictios, Aborigial commuities ad members of the public. It reflects the best available traditioal, local ad scietific kowledge at this time ad may be adapted if ew iformatio becomes available. I implemetig the actios i the respose statemet, the ESA allows the Miistry to determie what is feasible, takig ito accout social ad ecoomic factors.

2 Movig ForWard to Protect ad recover BUtterUt Butterut is listed as a edagered species uder the ESA, which protects both the tree ad its habitat. The ESA prohibits harm or harassmet of the species ad damage or destructio of its habitat without authorizatio. Such authorizatio would require that coditios established by the Miistry be met. Butterut is a wide-ragig species that occurs throughout cetral ad orth-easter North America. I Caada, Butterut is ative to Otario, Quebec ad New Bruswick. I Otario, atural populatios of this species are geerally foud south of the Caadia Shield, ragig from the southwest, orth to the Bruce Peisula, ad east to the Otario- Quebec border, where the species reaches its orther limit i the provice. Over the past 40 years, Butterut has suffered sigificat declies, primarily due to Butterut Caker (Ophiogomoia clavigigeti-jugladacearum), a fugal disease that kills trees of ay size by restrictig the flow of water ad utriets. I additio to causig the evetual death of the tree, stem cakers reduce the commercial value of the wood. This fugus has already devastated North America Butterut populatios. The extet of ifectio i Otario is ot fully uderstood; however i parts of the U.S., Butterut Caker has ifected more tha 90 percet of Butterut trees. Other threats to the species i Otario iclude hybridizatio with exotic species i the walut family, harvestig of trees i aticipatio of evetual ifectio ad mortality, habitat loss ad degradatio i areas where forest cover is already limited (e.g. southwest Otario), ad other diseases, isects ad exotic pests that would ot likely affect declies o their ow, but that weake the trees, makig them more susceptible to Butterut Caker. Threats to the species may also iclude excessive seed predatio by hyper-abudat species such as isects ad Commo Grackles (Quiscalus quiscula); however the sigificace of this potetial threat is ukow at this time. The most importat threat to the survival of Butterut populatios i Otario is the Butterut Caker. The successful recovery of the species i Otario will deped o well-grouded maagemet approaches that address the threat imposed by this disease. While ifected trees typically exhibit a umber of symptoms, icludig stem cakers, loss of crow ad vigour, ad the presece of epicormic shoots 1, some ifected trees have few symptoms ad live much loger tha others. Researchers hypothesize that these trees may be resistat to the disease. a tree is cosidered to exhibit resistace to Butterut caker if there is evidece that it is immue to ifectio by the disease or if the symptoms of ifectio are less severe compared to other trees that have bee ifected to a similar extet. Whether Butterut Caker resistace exists ad, if so, the mechaism of resistace (i.e., geetic, evirometal, or both), remais largely ukow. I cotrast, some Butterut trees are so diseased that they would ot cotribute to the protectio ad recovery of the species. I Otario, a ESA regulatory system has bee put i place to recogize that certai Butterut trees may cotribute more tha others to the protectio ad recovery of the species, ad to streamlie the authorizatio process for propoets udertakig activities that ivolve the removal of Butterut trees. The regulatio idetifies three differet categories of Butterut, based o their ability to cotribute to the protectio or recovery of the species ad utility i determiig possible mechaisms of Butterut Caker resistace (s. 23.7, O. Reg. 242/08): 1. Epicormic shoots are shoots that sprout from buds that lay beeath the bark of a truk after higher parts of the plat are damaged. 2

3 Category 1: the tree is i the advaced stages of disease as a result of Butterut Caker; retetio would ot cotribute to protectio or recovery of the species. Category 2: the tree does ot have Butterut Caker or disease is ot as advaced; retetio could cotribute to the protectio or recovery of the species. Category 3: the tree could be useful i determiig how to prevet or resist Butterut Caker. Uder the regulatio, the coditios for the removal of a Butterut tree vary depedig o the category to which the tree belogs, as determied by a desigated Butterut Health Assessor. The regulatio allows for the removal of Butterut trees assessed as Category 1. The regulatio also provides for the removal of a limited umber (i.e. 10 or less) of Category 2 Butterut, subject to coditios specified i the regulatio, icludig requiremets to plat replacemet seedligs i suitable habitat for the species. Give the importace of Category 3 Butterut trees to the protectio ad recovery of the species i Otario, harm or removal of these trees is ot authorized by the regulatio. For more detail o Butterut health assessmet, please refer to the Butterut Assessmet Guidelies: Assessmet of Butterut Tree Health for the Purposes of the Edagered Species Act, 2007, available to the public o the Miistry s website. Give the kowledge gaps about Butterut Caker ad the importace of retaiig healthy Butterut trees o the ladscape, recovery efforts at this time are focused o surveyig ad moitorig Butterut ad their habitat i Otario, idetifyig ad protectig healthy (i.e. Category 2 ad 3) trees, ad cotiuig research o Butterut Caker resistace ad cotrol, for the purpose of protectig ad restorig disease-resistat populatios of Butterut across the species rage i Otario. the govermet s log-term goal for the recovery of Butterut is to maitai existig populatios, or icrease them, such that they are self-sustaiig throughout the species curret rage i otario. As research ito Butterut Caker progresses over the ext five years, the govermet s goal for the recovery of Butterut may be re-evaluated as the potetial feasibility ad optios for addressig Butterut Caker evolve. Protectig ad recoverig species at risk is a shared resposibility. No sigle agecy or orgaizatio has the kowledge, authority or fiacial resources to protect ad recover all of Otario s species at risk. Successful recovery requires iter-govermetal co-operatio ad the ivolvemet of may idividuals, orgaizatios ad commuities. I developig the govermet respose statemet, the Miistry cosidered what actios are feasible for the govermet to lead directly ad what actios are feasible for the govermet to support its coservatio parters to udertake. 3

4 Govermet-led Actios To help protect ad recover the Butterut, the govermet will directly udertake the followig actios: Cotiue to apply provicial directio for Crow forestry practices i areas occupied by Butterut. Cotiue to apply sectio 23.7 of Otario Regulatio 242/08 ad moitor its implemetatio. The govermet will re-assess the directio provided i this regulatio withi five years, through the review of progress towards protectig ad recoverig Butterut. The review will evaluate whether the implemetatio of the regulatio cotiues to alig with the govermet s goal for the recovery of Butterut i Otario. Maitai the Miistry of Natural Resources Butterut Assessmet Guidelies: Assessmet of Butterut Tree Health for the Purposes of the Edagered Species Act, 2007 ad the list of desigated Butterut Health Assessors that are i good stadig. Set stadards for the traiig of Butterut Health Assessors ad coordiate traiig i collaboratio with parters. Co-operate with federal parters where appropriate to support their implemetatio of the protectio ad recovery actios idetified i the Recovery Strategy for the Butterut (Juglas cierea) i Caada by Eviromet Caada. Educate other agecies ad authorities ivolved i plaig ad evirometal assessmet processes o the protectio requiremets uder the ESA. Ecourage the submissio of Butterut occurrece data to the Miistry s cetral repository at the Natural Heritage Iformatio Cetre. Udertake commuicatios ad outreach to icrease public awareess of species at risk i Otario. Protect Butterut trees ad their habitat through the ESA. Support coservatio, agecy, muicipal ad idustry parters, ad Aborigial commuities ad orgaizatios to udertake activities to protect ad recover Butterut. Support will be provided through fudig, agreemets, permits (icludig coditios) ad/or advisory services. Establish ad commuicate aual priority actios for govermet support i order to ecourage collaboratio ad reduce duplicatio of efforts. 4

5 Govermet-supported Actios The govermet edorses the followig actios as beig ecessary for the protectio ad recovery of Butterut. Actios idetified as high will be give priority cosideratio for fudig uder the ESA. Where reasoable, the govermet will also cosider the priority assiged to these actios whe reviewig ad issuig authorizatios uder the Edagered Species Act. Other orgaizatios are ecouraged to cosider these priorities whe developig projects or mitigatio plas related to species at risk. The govermet will focus its support o these high-priority actios over the ext five years. Focus area: objective: Focus area: objective: ivetory ad Moitorig Improve kowledge about the distributio, abudace, ad health of Butterut populatios ad habitat i Otario. Actios: 1. (HigH) Develop ad implemet a stadardized survey ad moitorig protocol for collectig tree ad stad iformatio for use i cojuctio with the Butterut Assessmet Guidelies: Assessmet of Butterut Tree Health for the Purposes of the Edagered Species Act, 2007, published by the Miistry of Natural Resources. This program should: evirometal basis to Butterut Caker resistace, which may iclude: idetify the locatios, umbers, ad health of Butterut trees ad hybrids i Otario; assess habitat coditios at occupied sites; locate ad moitor putatively resistat trees; assess populatio demographics, such as age structure, recruitmet, ad mortality rates; ad, submit detailed data to the Miistry. 2. Support capacity developmet for Aborigial commuities to collect, store ad maage Aborigial traditioal kowledge they hold about the distributio, abudace ad historic use of Butterut. Ecourage iformatio sharig withi the recovery commuity. research Improve kowledge of Butterut ad its threats, icludig Butterut Caker, ad hybridizatio with other species i the walut family. Actios: 3. (HigH) Cotiue ivestigatios ito whether there is a geetic or assessig the geetic diversity of the Otario Butterut populatio; developig ad implemetig reliable methods to scree trees for resistace; evaluatig the ifluece of evirometal coditios such as habitat type ad the prevalece of stressors (e.g. other diseases, isects ad exotic pests) o resistace to Butterut Caker; ad, as appropriate, ivestigatig approaches to icrease resistace through breedig or modificatios to the eviromet. 4. Research approaches to kill or cotrol Butterut Caker, or to provide resistace to idividuals (e.g., ioculatio, habitat maagemet). 5

6 5. Ivestigate the extet, ad potetial threats ad beefits of hybridizatio of Butterut with other species i the walut family. This may iclude further ivestigatio ito the severity of the threat posed by hybridizatio to the protectio ad recovery of Butterut i Otario, whether hybrids exhibit geetic resistace to Butterut Caker, ad if so, whether this kowledge may assist Butterut recovery i Otario. 6. Ivestigate ew ad emergig threats to Butterut (e.g. Thousad Cakers disease). Focus area: objective: Stewardship ad Maagemet Icrease public awareess about Butterut Caker ad the eed to protect healthy Butterut trees. Actios: 7. (HigH) Promote awareess amog private ladowers, lad maagemet authorities, coservatio parters ad Aborigial commuities ad orgaizatios about Butterut, icludig: egative effects of Butterut Caker; protectio afforded to the species ad its habitat uder the ESA; ad, actios they ca take to help protect or recover the species, such as implemetig forest maagemet practices that support the growth ad recruitmet of healthy Butterut trees i their woodlots. 8. Collect ad archive geetic material from Butterut trees that may cotribute to the recovery of the species. This may iclude collectig ad storig seeds, establishig ad moitorig orchards of archived Butterut trees to support research ad stewardship efforts, ad explorig opportuities to store back-up seed/germplasm from Butterut trees. implemetig actios Fiacial support for the implemetatio of actios may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fud, Species at Risk Research Fud for Otario, or the Species at Risk Farm Icetive Program. Coservatio parters are ecouraged to discuss project proposals related to the actios i this respose statemet with the Miistry. The Miistry ca also advise if ay authorizatios uder the ESA or other legislatio may be required to udertake the project. Implemetatio of the actios may be subject to chagig priorities across the multitude of species at risk, available resources ad the capacity of parters to udertake recovery activities. Where appropriate, the implemetatio of actios for multiple species will be co-ordiated across govermet respose statemets. 6

7 reviewig ProgreSS The ESA requires the Miistry to coduct a review of progress towards protectig ad recoverig a species ot later tha five years from the publicatio of this respose statemet. The review will help idetify if adjustmets are eeded to achieve the protectio ad recovery of Butterut. ackowledgemet We would like to thak all those who participated i the developmet of the Recovery Strategy for Butterut (Juglas cierea) i Otario for their dedicatio to protectig ad recoverig species at risk. For additioal iformatio: Visit the species at risk website at otario.ca/speciesatrisk Cotact your MNR district office Cotact the Natural Resources Iformatio Cetre TTY mr.ric.mr@otario.ca otario.ca/mr 7