The Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario’s 2022 Annual Report

The Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario

provides protections for species at risk under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). The Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) is an independent committee of experts, including members with expertise in scientific disciplines, community knowledge or Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge, responsible for assessing species at risk in Ontario and provides classifications to the Minister of the Environment Conservation and Parks.

In accordance with sections 6 and 7 of the ESA:

• COSSARO is required to submit an annual report to the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks in January of each year listing species that have been assessed and classified since its previous annual report was submitted
• if the report submitted to the minister classifies any species as extirpated, endangered, threatened or of special concern, O. Reg. 230/08 – Species at Risk in Ontario List must be amended within one year of receiving the report from COSSARO

On January 31, 2023, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks received COSSARO’s 2022 Annual Report which includes species assessments and resulting classifications from 2022. The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks will make and file any corresponding amendments to O. Reg. 230/08 by January 30, 2024.

The report to the minister has been posted publicly, as required by Section 51 of the ESA.

Highlights of COSSARO’s annual report

COSSARO’s 2022 annual report includes:

• COSSARO’s species assessments (brief description of species biology, threats, etc.) and classifications of 17 species/populations
• Deferral of one species assessment to a future meeting
• A draft plan for species assessments for 2023

Species classifications resulting from the species assessments conducted by COSSARO in 2022 include:

New listings (species not currently on the SARO List)

• 1 new Endangered species:
  • Pumpkin Ash
• 2 new Threatened species:
  • Northern Oak Hairstreak
  • Skillet Clubtail
• 1 new Special Concern species:
  • Dukes’ Skipper

Down-listings of species currently on the SARO List

• 4 species down listed from Endangered to Threatened:
  • American Ginseng
  • Eastern Foxsnake (Carolinian population)
  • Eastern Sand Darter (Southwestern Ontario population)
  • Eastern Sand Darter (West Lake population)
• 1 species down listed from Endangered to Special Concern:
  • Cougar
• 1 species down listed from Threatened to Special Concern:
  • Eastern False-rue Anemone
• 1 species being removed from list
  • Bald Eagle was previously listed as Special Concern and is now Not at Risk

Species with no change in status

• Golden Eagle (Endangered)
• Bobolink (Threatened)
• Eastern Wolf (formerly Algonquin Wolf, Threatened)
• Eastern Foxsnake (Great Lakes/St. Lawrence population, Threatened)
• Incurved Grizzled Moss (Extirpated)
• Greater Prairie Chicken (Extirpated)

Species assessment deferred to a future meeting

• American White Pelican (Threatened)