I would like to share my…

I would like to share my resounding support regarding "The government’s goal for the recovery of Massasauga (Carolinian population) is to increase the likelihood of maintaining the current regional distribution of the species in southern Ontario. The government supports the continued investigation, evaluation and if appropriate, implementation of population management actions at the Ojibway Prairie Complex and the Wainfleet Bog subpopulations."

My organization has been undertaking years of baseline data collection focused on monitoring populations of S.catenatus and other SAR reptiles in the Great Lakes region. This, part of an ongoing contribution to prevent species decline, improve recruitment and protect the integrity of the species and their habitat. I recognize that while there are still some relatively stable populations of S.catenatus present within our GL region of Ontario, the Carolinian subpopulations are in severe decline, beyond their ability to recover without immediate and extensive intervention.

There is a need for rigorous implementation of population management to re-establish the Ojibway Prairie Complex and the Wainfleet Bog subpopulations ability to recover. My recommendation would be using methods that include augmentation with the use of captive bred populations. There are source populations from the GL region that would surely contribute to these management strategies with no detriment to their existing populations.

It is my firm belief and personal experience in working with this vulnerable species that without population augmentation these subpopulations will indefinitely parish. This would be a true travesty for the species and the ecology they exist within.

I urge you to strongly consider the use of captive-bred population augmentation to improve the future of our Carolinian subpopulations.

Thank you,

Cory Kozmik

Management Biologist
Magnetawan First Nation
Britt, ON