Bent Spike-rush Government Response Statement
This document outlines the actions the government intends to take or support to help recover the bent spike-rush.
Photo: Sam Brinker, NHIC
Bent Spike-rush is a small, green to greenish yellow, annual tufted plant that grows in open areas on the sheltered shorelines of ponds and lakes.
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 life 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 (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 Bent Spike-rush was completed on September 10, 2010.
The response statement is the government’s policy response to the scientific advice provided in the recovery strategy. 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 modified 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 Bent Spike-Rush
Bent Spike-rush is listed as an endangered species under the ESA, which protects both the plant and its habitat. The ESA prohibits harm to or harassment of the species and damage to or destruction of its habitat without authorization. Such authorization would require that conditions established by the Ministry be met.
There are two populations of Bent Spike-rush in Ontario, both within two kilometres of Lake Erie. The greatest threat to the plant is habitat degradation caused by the spread of an invasive species called Common Reed (Phragmites australis subsp. australis). Common Reed is actively invading many wetlands in southern Ontario and is present at both locations of Bent Spike-rush.
The government’s goal for the recovery of Bent Spike-rush is to prevent further loss and degradation of habitat at both locations where it occurs so that populations are maintained.
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 intergovernmental 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’s conservation partners to undertake with government support.
Government-led actions
To help protect and recover Bent Spike-rush, the government will directly undertake the following actions:
- Finalize the best management practices for the control of Common Reed within sensitive habitats and update them as new control techniques become available.
- Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA.
- Encourage the submission of Bent Spike-rush 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 Bent Spike-rush and its habitat through the ESA. Develop and enforce a regulation prescribing the habitat of the species.
- Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners in undertaking activities to protect and recover Bent Spike-rush. Support will be provided through funding, agreements, permits (including conditions) and advisory services.
- Establish and communicate annual priority actions for government support in order to encourage collaboration and reduce duplication of effort.
Government-supported actions
The government endorses the following actions for the protection and recovery of Bent Spike-rush. Actions identified as "high" will be given priority consideration for funding or for authorizations under the ESA. The government will focus its support on these high-priority actions over the next five years.
Focus area: Threat Management
Objective: Investigate and implement options for removing and/or controlling Common Reed at Bent Spike-rush sites that are most vulnerable to this threat.
Actions:
- (High) Implement the best management practices for Common Reed through an adaptive management approach that assesses their impact on Bent Spike-rush in test plots prior to broader implementation.
Focus Area: Inventory and Monitoring
Objective: Inventory and map all known Bent Spike-rush populations and habitats at regular intervals to provide data on the extent and rate of change.
Actions:
Conduct detailed mapping and surveys of known populations to provide a quantitative baseline for future monitoring. This inventory should include:
- an estimate of the population abundance, including the seed bank;
- GPS-based mapping of the population extent of Bent Spike-rush and Common Reed;
- a detailed inventory of the species present in the vegetation community; and
- measurements of water and moisture levels.
- Repeat the inventory and mapping of all known populations to assess species dynamics over an extended period and response to threat-mitigation actions.
Focus area: Research
Objective: Improve knowledge of the species' biology to help inform future recovery efforts.
Actions:
- Conduct research to assess the reproductive and habitat needs of Bent Spike-rush and the magnitude of impacts on these factors by Common Reed.
Implementing actions
Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Fund, Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program or Community Fisheries and Wildlife Involvement 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 may be required to undertake the project.
Implementation of the actions may be subject to changes in priorities across the multitude of species at risk, availability of 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 toward protecting and recovering a species not later than five years from the publication of this response statement. The review will help determine whether adjustments are needed to achieve the protection and recovery of Bent Spike-rush.
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank all those who participated in the development of the "Recovery Strategy for the Bent Spike-rush 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 MNR district office
Contact the Natural Resources Information Centre
Email: NRISC@ontario.ca
Website: ontario.ca/mnr