Eastern Hog-nosed Snake

Transcription

1 Miistry of Natural Resources Easter Hog-osed Sake Otario Govermet Respose Statemet Photo: Alle Woodliffe PROTECTING AND RECOVERING SPECIES AT RISK IN ONTARIO 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. GOVERNMENT RESPONSE STATEMENTS Easter Hog-osed Sake is a thick-bodied sake with a distictive uptured scale o its sout. The species typically measures 50 to 85 cm i legth, with highly variable colour (gray, brow, olive or black) ad patter or blotchig. 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 Easter Hog-osed Sake was published o December 7, 2011 ( The respose statemet is the govermet s policy respose to the scietific advice provided i the recovery strategy. 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 MOVING FORWARD TO PROTECT AND RECOVER EASTERN HOG-NOSED SNAKE Easter Hog-osed Sake is listed as a threateed species uder the ESA. The ESA prohibits harm or harassmet of the species without authorizatio. Such authorizatio would require that coditios established by the Miistry be met. The Easter Hog-osed Sake s habitat will be protected from damage or destructio uder the Act by Jue 30, The Easter Hog-osed Sake is widespread i easter North America. However, the species is cosidered rare i Caada where it is limited to two areas: the Caroliia regio of southwester Otario, ad cetral Otario south of the Frech River ad Lake Nipissig. The species presece i Otario has declied, havig bee extirpated from the regios of Halto, Peel, York, Pelee Islad, ad Poit Pelee Natioal Park. Threats to the Easter Hog-osed Sake iclude habitat loss, degradatio ad fragmetatio, roads, persecutio, collectio, ad cotamiats. The govermet s goal is to maitai curret populatio levels of Easter Hog-osed Sake, ad where possible, icrease coectivity of existig populatios ad esure the atural expasio of their rage. 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. GOVERNMENT-LED ACTIONS To help protect ad recover the Easter Hog-osed Sake, the govermet will directly udertake the followig actios: Develop a survey protocol to be used by propoets ad parters to detect the presece or absece of Easter Hog-osed Sake. Educate other agecies ad authorities ivolved i plaig ad evirometal assessmet processes o the protectio requiremets uder the ESA. Ecourage the submissio of Easter Hog-osed Sake data to the Miistry s cetral repository at the Natural Heritage Iformatio Cetre or the Otario Reptile ad Amphibia Atlas. Udertake commuicatios ad outreach to icrease public awareess of species at risk i Otario. Protect the Easter Hog-osed Sake through the ESA. Apply ad implemet habitat protectio provisios of the Act by Jue 30,

3 Support coservatio, agecy, muicipal ad idustry parters ad Aborigial commuities to udertake activities to protect ad recover the Easter Hog-osed Sake. Support will be provided where appropriate through fudig, agreemets, permits (icludig coditios) ad advisory services. Establish ad commuicate aual priority actios for govermet support i order to ecourage collaboratio ad reduce duplicatio of efforts. GOVERNMENT-SUPPORTED ACTIONS The govermet edorses the followig actios as beig ecessary for the protectio ad recovery of the Easter Hog-osed Sake. Actios idetified as high will be give priority cosideratio for fudig or for authorizatios uder the ESA. The govermet will focus its support o these high-priority actios over the ext five years. Maagemet Reduce idetified threats ad icrease habitat coectivity for Easter Hog-osed Sake. Actios: 1. (HIGH) Assess specific threats to Easter Hog-osed Sake habitat ad mitigate those threats where appropriate (e.g., co-operate with existig ladscape restoratio activities to strategically implemet habitat restoratio measures for the species to maitai coectivity of habitat types). 2. (HIGH) Idetify sites where traffic mortality occurs ad, where feasible, implemet appropriate mitigatio measures which may iclude: a public outreach campaig aimed at driver educatio, costructio of ecopassages ad istallatio of sake fecig alog relevat roadways, ad temporary road closures where ecessary. 3. As opportuities arise, support the securemet of habitat that cotais Easter Hog-osed Sake populatios through existig lad securemet ad stewardship programs. Ivetory ad Moitorig Icrease kowledge of presece, distributio ad abudace of Easter Hog-osed Sake i Otario. Actios: 4. (HIGH) Develop ad implemet a stadardized populatio moitorig, ivetory ad reportig program which may: moitor populatios to idetify ad track chages i populatio abudace over time, idetify locatios of hiberacula ad other habitat features, ad complete surveys i cojuctio with other species at risk, where appropriate, to determie the presece ad distributio of Easter Hog-osed Sake. 3

4 Research Improve kowledge of Easter Hog-osed Sake habitat, populatio viability ad prey. Actios: 5. Udertake research at represetative sites across the species rage to determie habitat use of adults ad juveiles, home rage sizes ad populatio abudace. 6. Use basic life history data to estimate the effect of differig populatio sizes o the likelihood of the populatio survivig. 7. Determie Easter Hog-osed Sake depedece o toad populatios for survival ad ivestigate the food prefereces of juveiles. Awareess Raise awareess ad promote stewardship of Easter Hog-osed Sake i Otario. Actios: 8. Develop ad provide iformatio to eforcemet officers, ladowers, those workig o the lad, Aborigial commuities, muicipal plaers ad the pet trade to icrease awareess, reduce persecutio, ad promote the protectio ad recovery of Easter Hog-osed Sake. Where appropriate, coordiate efforts with other sake at-risk awareess iitiatives. IMPLEMENTING ACTIONS Fiacial support for the implemetatio of actios may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fud, Species at Risk Farm Icetive Program or Commuity Fisheries ad Wildlife Ivolvemet 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. 4

5 REVIEWING 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 the Easter Hog-osed Sake. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We would like to thak all those who participated i the developmet of the Recovery Strategy for the Easter Hog-osed Sake 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 5