This has been a milestone year for Ontario’s new Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA). The law came into force a year ago, and since then the government has been putting measures into place to achieve the ESA’s ambitious goal of protecting and recovering Ontario’s endangered species.

A critical first step is the development of recovery strategies and habitat regulations for ten “fast-track” species. The recovery strategies are developed by expert recovery teams – one for each species – who conduct a thorough scientific review of the species’ needs and present recommendations to government. The habitat regulations then follow. They are developed by government – again, one for each species. Each habitat regulation identifies the area covered as habitat for a particular species under the ESA.

Habitat loss is the number one threat to most endangered species in Ontario. Thus the habitat regulations represent one of the most important tools under the ESA. Without strong, scientifically defensible identification and protection of all aspects of a species’ habitat, that species will decline further.

Using Ontario’s public school report card as a template, Save Ontario’s Species (SOS) has evaluated the first year of ESA implementation, with a focus on the first ten draft habitat regulations to come out under the Act. The results suggest that in many respects the government has yet to grasp the basic ABCs of habitat protection. However, since these are draft regulations, the government still has time to improve its grades.

June 2009 marks the first anniversary of the Act coming into force. In moving forward, it is critical that the first habitat regulations set a strong precedent for all those to follow. These habitat regulations are a litmus test for how well the new ESA is going to work. Ontario’s endangered species cannot afford a failing grade, or even a bare pass. To improve the long term prospects for these species, the government should be aiming for an A+. It is time to assess progress and to urge the government to make the grade.

Click here to see the SOS press release. Click here to read the SOS Report Card.