Showy Goldenrod Boreal Population Government Response Statement
This document outlines the actions the government intends to take or support to help recover the Showy Goldenrod – Boreal Population.
Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population is a perennial plant that can grow up to two metres tall. It has several stalks with pale green lance-shaped leaves, and small bright yellow flowers. The only known Canadian occurrence of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population is on Dufresne Island, near Kenora, Ontario.
Protecting and recovering species at risk in Ontario
Species at risk recovery is a key part of protecting Ontario’s biodiversity. Biodiversity – the variety of living organisms on Earth – provides us with clean air and water, food, fibre, medicine and other resources that we need to survive.
The Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA) is the Government of Ontario’s legislative commitment to protecting and recovering species at risk and their habitats. As soon as a species is listed as extirpated, endangered or threatened under the ESA, it is automatically protected from harm or harassment. Also, immediately upon listing, the habitats of endangered and threatened species are protected from damage or destruction.
Under the ESA, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (the Ministry) must ensure that a recovery strategy is prepared for each species that is listed as endangered or threatened. A recovery strategy provides science-based advice to government on what is required to achieve recovery of a species.
Government response statements
Within nine months after a recovery strategy is prepared, the ESA requires the Ministry to publish a statement summarizing the government’s intended actions and priorities in response to the recovery strategy. The recovery strategy for the Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population (Solidago speciosa), was completed on August 13, 2014.
The response statement is the government’s policy response to the scientific advice provided in the recovery strategy. All recommendations provided in the recovery strategy were considered and this response statement identifies those that are considered to be appropriate and necessary for the protection and recovery of the species. In addition to the strategy, the response statement is based on input from stakeholders, other jurisdictions, Aboriginal communities and members of the public. It reflects the best available traditional, local and scientific knowledge at this time and may be adapted if new information becomes available. In implementing the actions in the response statement, the ESA allows the Ministry to determine what is feasible, taking into account social and economic factors.
Moving forward to protect and recover Showy Goldenrod
The Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population is listed as a threatened species under the ESA, which protects both the plant and its habitat. The ESA prohibits harm or harassment of the species and damage or destruction of its habitat without authorization. Such authorization would require that conditions established by the Ministry be met.
The only known Canadian occurrence of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population is found on the southeastern shore of Dufresne Island near Kenora, Ontario. The next closest known population is located several hundred kilometres away, in South Dakota.
There are no known immediate or direct threats to the Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population. The population does, however, exist in a small, isolated area. Due to the small size of the population, the species may be vulnerable to random negative events such as insect infestation or drought that could put the population at risk of extirpation. This population is also potentially vulnerable to the negative effects of inbreeding as there are no other known populations nearby. It is unusual for a species’ population with a relatively small number of individuals to be located such a far distance from any other known populations. Little is known about the short and long-term changes to the size and age of the population; however, it may have unique adaptations or circumstances that have allowed it to persist in Ontario. Because the population might be susceptible to random negative events and the effects of inbreeding, recovery efforts should include monitoring the species’ population size, age and health dynamics, and long-term trends, to gain a better understanding of the stability of this population.
Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population may be susceptible to inadvertent trampling by hikers. It is therefore beneficial to educate local members of the public on the presence of Showy Goldenrod and activities that may result in inadvertent harm to the species and damage or destruction of its habitat.
The open woodland habitat occupied by Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population is generally self-maintaining and is not likely to require maintenance such as mechanical thinning or prescribed burns to ensure the habitat remains suitable. The habitat is likely kept open due to the shallow soils over bedrock along the shore and a lack of long-term canopy closure due to the inability of large trees to take root.
Very little is known about this population in Ontario, including habitat requirements, breeding biology, and population trends. At this time, recovery actions for this species will focus on filling knowledge gaps and maintaining the existing population. The current and only known Ontario population of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population is located within a small area of Crown land that also contains significant wildlife habitat. Maintaining this population in its current abundance and distribution is considered feasible.
The government’s goal for the recovery of the Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population is to maintain the existing abundance and distribution of Showy Goldenrod in Ontario.
Protecting and recovering species at risk is a shared responsibility. No single agency or organization has the knowledge, authority or financial resources to protect and recover all of Ontario’s species at risk. Successful recovery requires inter-governmental co-operation and the involvement of many individuals, organizations and communities.
In developing the government response statement, the Ministry considered what actions are feasible for the government to lead directly and what actions are feasible for the government to support its conservation partners to undertake.
Government-led actions
To help protect and recover the Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population, the government will directly undertake the following actions:
- Continue to conduct surveys for Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population in areas that are considered to be suitable habitat.
- Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA.
- Encourage the submission of Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population data to the Ministry’s central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre.
- Undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario.
- Protect the Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population and its habitat through the ESA.
- Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners, and Aboriginal communities and organizations to undertake activities to protect and recover the Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population. Support will be provided where appropriate through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and/or advisory services.
- Encourage collaboration, and establish and communicate annual priority actions for government support in order to reduce duplication of efforts.
Government-supported actions
The government endorses the following actions as being necessary for the protection and recovery of the Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population. Actions identified as “high” will be given priority consideration for funding under the ESA. Where reasonable, the government will also consider the priority assigned to these actions when reviewing and issuing authorizations under the ESA. Other organizations are encouraged to consider these priorities when developing projects or mitigation plans related to species at risk. The government will focus its support on these high-priority actions over the next five years.
Focus area: Monitoring and research
Objective: Improve understanding of the species’ habitat requirements and population dynamics, health, and trends.
Actions:
- (High) Design and implement a long-term population and habitat monitoring protocol to identify the baseline habitat conditions and monitor population size, health, and trends.
- Investigate long and short-term changes in the size, age, and composition of the population and the factors that affect these changes (population dynamics).
- Investigate knowledge gaps relating to the species’ habitat requirements, pollination and reproduction, and demographics to better understand the factors that allow the species to persist in northern Ontario.
Focus area: Awareness
Objective: Educate the public about potential threats to Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population resulting from human-caused disturbances.
Actions:
- Increase awareness about Showy Goldenrod – Boreal population and its protection under the ESA among nearby landowners and key stakeholders. Education and outreach efforts may include distributing information and installing signage to minimize the risk of trampling by use of all-terrain vehicles, trails, and boat landings.
Implementing actions
Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund, Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, or the Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program. Conservation partners are encouraged to discuss project proposals related to the actions in this response statement with the Ministry. The Ministry can also advise if any authorizations under the ESA or other legislation may be required to undertake the project.
Implementation of the actions may be subject to changing priorities across the multitude of species at risk, available resources and the capacity of partners to undertake recovery activities. Where appropriate, the implementation of actions for multiple species will be co- ordinated across government response statements.
Reviewing progress
The ESA requires the Ministry to conduct a review of progress towards protecting and recovering a species not later than five years from the publication of this response statement. The review will help identify if adjustments are needed to achieve the protection and recovery of the Showy Goldenrod.
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank all those who participated in the development of the “Recovery Strategy for Showy Goldenrod (Solidago speciosa) – Boreal population in Ontario” for their dedication to protecting and recovering species at risk.
For additional information:
Visit the species at risk website at ontario.ca/speciesatrisk
Contact your MNRF district office
Contact the Natural Resources Information Centre
Email: NRISC@ontario.ca
Website: ontario.ca/mnrf