Few-flowered Club-rush Government Response Statement

Few-flowered Club-rush is a herbaceous sedge with short grass-like leaves. In Ontario, this species is limited to two sites, in Cootes Paradise at the Royal Botanical Gardens near Hamilton and at Rouge Park in Toronto. Threats may include soil erosion, canopy closure due to succession and fire suppression, trampling, browsing by deer, competition from invasive non-native plants and fungal infections.

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 (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 Few-flowered Club-rush was completed on February 18, 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 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 Few-flowered Club-rush

The Few-flowered Club-rush is listed as an endangered species under the ESA which protects both the plant and its habitat. The Government of Ontario has demonstrated its commitment to protecting the Few-flowered Club-rush by prescribing its specific habitat in regulation. The ESA prohibits any damage or destruction of that habitat without authorization. Such authorization would require that conditions established by the Ministry of Natural Resources be met.

The government’s goal for the recovery of the Few-flowered Club-rush is to ensure the long-term survival of existing Ontario populations.

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 Few-flowered Club-rush, the government will directly undertake the following actions:

• Educate other agencies and planning authorities on the requirement to consider the protection of the Few-flowered Club-rush and its habitat in planning activities and environmental assessment processes.
• Encourage the submission of Few-flowered Club-rush data to the Ministry of Natural Resources' central repository at the Natural Heritage Information Centre.
• Undertake communications and outreach to increase public awareness of species at risk in Ontario.
• Protect the Few-flowered Club-rush through the ESA and enforce the regulation protecting the specific habitat of the species.
• Support conservation, agency, municipal and industry partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the Few-flowered Club-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 efforts.

Government-supported actions

The government endorses the following actions as being necessary for the protection and recovery of the Few-flowered Club-rush. Actions which are noted 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: Protection and management

Objective:

Manage habitat to maintain the conditions necessary to sustain existing populations and maintain genetic diversity.

Actions:

1. (High) Develop site-specific plans for managing existing populations of Few-flowered Club-rush populations and restoring their habitats.
2. (High) Clarify and mitigate site-specific threats that impede the survival of Few-flowered Club-rush populations.

Focus area: Monitoring

Objective:

Evaluate population trends, threats and the impact of management actions.

Actions:

3. Develop and implement protocols to monitor Few-flowered Club-rush population trends, threats and response to management techniques at existing sites in Ontario.

Focus area: Research

Objective:

Address knowledge gaps and clarify the threats posed to the species in its Ontario range.

Actions:

4. Identify the type and level of disturbance that promotes persistence of Few-flowered Club-rush populations in Ontario, including prescribed burning.
5. Assess the role and significance of other potential threats to the species and its habitat.
6. Explore the need for a seed bank to conserve local genetic diversity, as required.

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 of Natural Resources. The Ministry can also advise whether any authorizations under the ESA or other legislation may be required for undertaking 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 whether adjustments are needed to achieve the protection and recovery of the Few-flowered Club-rush.

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank everyone who participated in the development of the "Recovery Strategy for the Few-flowered Club-rush in Ontario" for their dedication to protecting and recovering species at risk.