Species at Risk Act (S.C. 2002, c. 29)

Marginal note:Use of powers under other Acts

54. For the purpose of implementing the measures included in an action plan, the competent minister may use any powers that he or she has under any other Act of Parliament.

Marginal note:Monitoring and reporting

55. The competent minister must monitor the implementation of an action plan and the progress towards meeting its objectives and assess and report on its implementation and its ecological and socio-economic impacts five years after the plan comes into effect. A copy of the report must be included in the public registry.

Protection of Critical Habitat

Marginal note:Codes of practice, national standards or guidelines

56. The competent minister may, after consultation with the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council and any person whom he or she considers appropriate, establish codes of practice, national standards or guidelines with respect to the protection of critical habitat.

Marginal note:Purpose

57. The purpose of section 58 is to ensure that, within 180 days after the recovery strategy or action plan that identified the critical habitat referred to in subsection 58(1) is included in the public registry, all of the critical habitat is protected by

• (a) provisions in, or measures under, this or any other Act of Parliament, including agreements under section 11; or

• (b) the application of subsection 58(1).

Marginal note:Destruction of critical habitat

• 58. (1) Subject to this section, no person shall destroy any part of the critical habitat of any listed endangered species or of any listed threatened species — or of any listed extirpated species if a recovery strategy has recommended the reintroduction of the species into the wild in Canada — if

  • (a) the critical habitat is on federal land, in the exclusive economic zone of Canada or on the continental shelf of Canada;

  • (b) the listed species is an aquatic species; or

  • (c) the listed species is a species of migratory birds protected by the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994.

• Marginal note:Protected areas

  (2) If the critical habitat or a portion of the critical habitat is in a national park of Canada named and described in Schedule 1 to the Canada National Parks Act, a marine protected area under the Oceans Act, a migratory bird sanctuary under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 or a national wildlife area under the Canada Wildlife Act, the competent Minister must, within 90 days after the recovery strategy or action plan that identified the critical habitat is included in the public registry, publish in the Canada Gazette a description of the critical habitat or portion that is in that park, area or sanctuary.

• Marginal note:Application

  (3) If subsection (2) applies, subsection (1) applies to the critical habitat or the portion of the critical habitat described in the Canada Gazette under subsection (2) 90 days after the description is published in the Canada Gazette.

• Marginal note:Application

  (4) If all of the critical habitat or any portion of the critical habitat is not in a place referred to in subsection (2), subsection (1) applies in respect of the critical habitat or portion of the critical habitat, as the case may be, specified in an order made by the competent minister.

• Marginal note:Obligation to make order or statement

  (5) Within 180 days after the recovery strategy or action plan that identified the critical habitat is included in the public registry, the competent minister must, after consultation with every other competent minister, with respect to all of the critical habitat or any portion of the critical habitat that is not in a place referred to in subsection (2),

  • (a) make the order referred to in subsection (4) if the critical habitat or any portion of the critical habitat is not legally protected by provisions in, or measures under, this or any other Act of Parliament, including agreements under section 11; or

  • (b) if the competent minister does not make the order, he or she must include in the public registry a statement setting out how the critical habitat or portions of it, as the case may be, are legally protected.

• Marginal note:Habitat of migratory birds

  (5.1) Despite subsection (4), with respect to the critical habitat of a species of bird that is a migratory bird protected by the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 that is not on federal land, in the exclusive economic zone of Canada, on the continental shelf of Canada or in a migratory bird sanctuary referred to in subsection (2), subsection (1) applies only to those portions of the critical habitat that are habitat to which that Act applies and that the Governor in Council may, by order, specify on the recommendation of the competent minister.

• Marginal note:Obligation to make recommendation

  (5.2) The competent minister must, within 180 days after the recovery strategy or action plan that identified the critical habitat that includes habitat to which the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 applies is included in the public registry, and after consultation with every other competent minister,

  • (a) make the recommendation if he or she is of the opinion there are no provisions in, or other measures under, this or any other Act of Parliament, including agreements under section 11, that legally protect any portion or portions of the habitat to which that Act applies; or

  • (b) if the competent minister does not make the recommendation, he or she must include in the public registry a statement setting out how the critical habitat that is habitat to which that Act applies, or portions of it, as the case may be, are legally protected.

• Marginal note:Consultation

  (6) If the competent minister is of the opinion that an order under subsection (4) or (5.1) would affect land in a territory that is not under the authority of the Minister or the Parks Canada Agency, he or she must consult the territorial minister before making the order under subsection (4) or the recommendation under subsection (5.2).

• Marginal note:Consultation

  (7) If the competent minister is of the opinion that an order under subsection (4) or (5.1) would affect a reserve or any other lands that are set apart for the use and benefit of a band under the Indian Act, he or she must consult the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the band before making the order under subsection (4) or the recommendation under subsection (5.2).

• Marginal note:Consultation

  (8) If the competent minister is of the opinion that an order under subsection (4) or (5.1) would affect an area in respect of which a wildlife management board is authorized by a land claims agreement to perform functions in respect of wildlife species, he or she must consult the wildlife management board before making the order under subsection (4) or the recommendation under subsection (5.2).

• Marginal note:Consultation

  (9) If the competent minister is of the opinion that an order under subsection (4) or (5.1) would affect land that is under the authority of another federal minister, other than a competent minister, he or she must consult the other federal minister before making the order under subsection (4) or the recommendation under subsection (5.2).

Marginal note:Regulations re federal lands

• 59. (1) The Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the competent minister after consultation with every other competent minister, make regulations to protect critical habitat on federal lands.

• Marginal note:Obligation to make recommendation

  (2) The competent minister must make the recommendation if the recovery strategy or an action plan identifies a portion of the critical habitat as being unprotected and the competent minister is of the opinion that the portion requires protection.

• Marginal note:Contents

  (3) The regulations may include provisions requiring the doing of things that protect the critical habitat and provisions prohibiting activities that may adversely affect the critical habitat.

• Marginal note:Consultation

  (4) If the competent minister is of the opinion that a regulation would affect land in a territory that is not under the authority of the Minister or the Parks Canada Agency, he or she must consult the territorial minister before recommending the making of the regulation.

• Marginal note:Consultation

  (5) If the competent minister is of the opinion that a regulation would affect a reserve or any other lands that are set apart for the use and benefit of a band under the Indian Act, he or she must consult the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and the band before recommending the making of the regulation.

• Marginal note:Consultation

  (6) If the competent minister is of the opinion that a regulation would affect an area in respect of which a wildlife management board is authorized by a land claims agreement to perform functions in respect of wildlife species, he or she must consult the wildlife management board before recommending the making of the regulation.

Marginal note:Provincial and territorial classifications

• 60. (1) If a wildlife species has been classified as an endangered species or a threatened species by a provincial or territorial minister, no person shall destroy any part of the habitat of that species that the provincial or territorial minister has identified as essential to the survival or recovery of the species and that is on federal lands in the province or territory.

• Marginal note:Application

  (2) Subsection (1) applies only to the portions of the habitat that the Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the competent minister, by order, specify.

Marginal note:Destruction of critical habitat

• 61. (1) No person shall destroy any part of the critical habitat of a listed endangered species or a listed threatened species that is in a province or territory and that is not part of federal lands.

• Marginal note:Exception

  (1.1) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of

  • (a) an aquatic species; or

  • (b) the critical habitat of a species of bird that is a migratory bird protected by the Migratory Birds Convention Act, 1994 that is habitat referred to in subsection 58(5.1).

• Marginal note:Application

  (2) Subsection (1) applies only to the portions of the critical habitat that the Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister, by order, specify.

• Marginal note:Power to make recommendation

  (3) The Minister may make a recommendation if

  • (a) a provincial minister or territorial minister has requested that the recommendation be made; or

  • (b) the Canadian Endangered Species Conservation Council has recommended that the recommendation be made.

• Marginal note:Obligation to make recommendation

  (4) The Minister must make a recommendation if he or she is of the opinion, after consultation with the appropriate provincial or territorial minister, that

  • (a) there are no provisions in, or other measures under, this or any other Act of Parliament that protect the particular portion of the critical habitat, including agreements under section 11; and

  • (b) the laws of the province or territory do not effectively protect the critical habitat.

• Marginal note:Expiry and renewal of order

  (5) An order made under subsection (2) expires five years after the day on which it is made or renewed, unless the Governor in Council, by order, renews it.

• Marginal note:Recommendation to repeal order

  (6) If the Minister is of the opinion that an order made under subsection (2) is no longer necessary to protect the portion of the critical habitat to which the order relates or that the province or territory has brought into force laws that protect the portion, the Minister must recommend that the order be repealed.