Developing government response statements for four species at risk under the Endangered Species Act, 2007

Ontario provides protections for species at risk and their habitats under the Endangered Species Act, 2007. We are working with stakeholders, Indigenous peoples and the public to improve the effectiveness of the species at risk program. The species at risk program helps to preserve Ontario’s rich biodiversity for generations to come.

We are developing government response statements. These statements are species-specific policies that identify and prioritize actions to protect and recover the species that are at risk. They are developed in response to recommendations in recovery strategies and provide policy direction to government and partners about what should be done to recover each of these species.

These policies relate to:

• Hudsonian Godwit (a bird that breeds in northern Ontario)
• Lake Whitefish – Opeongo Lake large- and small-bodied populations (two distinct populations of a fish found in Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario)
• Suckley’s Cuckoo Bumble Bee (a bee historically found across Ontario)

We considered advice and input from the following sources in developing these proposed government response statements:

• recovery strategies
• the public
• stakeholders
• Indigenous communities and organizations

Species at risk in Ontario

In Ontario, once a species is listed as endangered or threatened, there is a process for gathering information and developing policy guidance to support the protection and recovery of these species.

As a first step, the province engages external individuals and organizations with expertise on the species to write recovery strategies. These strategy documents form the foundation of scientific advice and can include knowledge from:

• the public
• stakeholders
• Indigenous communities and organizations

The province develops a government response statement for each recovery strategy after the recovery strategies are finalized,

Learn more about species at risk in Ontario.

Draft government response statements

We are proposing the following government response statements in relation to recovery strategies for the below listed species:

• Hudsonian Godwit
• Lake Whitefish (Opeongo Lake large- and small-bodied populations)
• Suckley’s Cuckoo Bumble Bee

Note: Lake Whitefish (Opeongo large- and small-bodied populations) are two distinct populations. They are being addressed in a single government response statement because they belong to the same taxonomic species, are found in the same geographic location, and have common threats.

The recovery strategies for all four species were finalized on January 16, 2024.

• Recovery Strategy for Hudsonian Godwit
• Recovery Strategy for Lake Whitefish – Opeongo Lake large- and small-bodied populations
• Recovery Strategy for Suckley's Cuckoo Bumble Bee

Purpose of policy

The draft government response statements provide species-specific direction on the actions that the government intends to lead and support to protect and recover these four species at risk.

We invite you to review the proposals and provide input to inform the finalization of the government response statements for these species.