The law

Ontario’s Endangered Species Act protects endangered and threatened species — animals and plants in decline and at risk of disappearing from the province.

If you plan to conduct forest operations that will affect an endangered or threatened species or habitat, you either need a permit or to follow certain rules.

These rules cover operations carried out:

  • before July 1, 2018
  • in a Crown Forest (forest on land owned by the provincial government)
  • for the province or under a licence issued under the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994

Source law

This is a summary of the provincial laws. You can find a complete set of provincial rules related to this activity in:

  • Endangered Species Act, 2007
  • Ontario Regulation 242/08 (general)

The rules

You must:

  • operate under a Forest Management Plan
  • follow any conditions outlined in a forest management plan related to endangered or threatened species

If your plan doesn’t include conditions that protect important habitat features of a particular endangered or threatened species:

  • stop forest operations that would affect the feature (e.g., a nest, den)
  • apply to amend your forest management plan to say how you will protect the feature
  • resume operations under the conditions in your amended forest management plan

Woodland caribou (forest-dwelling boreal population)

If you operate within the continuous distribution area of the Woodland caribou, your forest management plan should say how habitat will be available and maintained over time (e.g., re-planting conifer trees).

Plans should also address how roads will be built and removed to maintain or improve the habitat.

Reporting

If you have a sustainable forest licence, you need to submit an annual report for each forest management unit that falls within the continuous distribution area of the Woodland caribou.

You only need to do this if the forestry has occurred in the unit that year.

When you need a permit

You could still need a permit if you are working outside a Crown forest (e.g., private property).

To apply for a permit, contact a local Ministry of Natural Resources office.

Find an MNRF district office

Identify a species at risk

If you are unsure about a certain species – and would like help identifying or confirming what it is – you can see photos and get more information on the Endangered Species website.

Get more details about a species