Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, July 17, 2008

LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - The territorial government is looking for public input into a new Act that will provide further protection for species that are at risk.

The Species at Risk Act (SARA) sets up processes for how to identify and list species. It also allows for the implementation of measures to protect species and their habitats, said Susan Fleck, the director of the Wildlife Division for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

On July 9 Fleck gave a presentation on SARA in Fort Simpson to representatives from a number of communities in the Deh Cho including Trout Lake, Fort Providence, Nahanni Butte and Kakisa. Fleck is in the process of travelling to all the regions in the territory to explain how the legislation works and to ask for comments on it to be submitted by Aug. 1.

"I haven't heard any concerns yet," said Fleck.

SARA is the territorial government's way of upholding the commitments it made when it signed the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk.

Along with all of the other provinces and territories in Canada, the NWT committed to providing legal protection for species which includes setting up a way to assess and list the species, Fleck said.

SARA would apply to animals under the existing Wildlife Act as well as plants, insects, birds, frogs and snakes.

The NWT is in an enviable position when it comes to species at risk, said Fleck.

"In the whole NWT there's not going to be many species that need the extra protection this Act can provide," she said.

Fleck couldn't think of any endangered species in the Deh Cho that people hunt.

The two largest animals that have listings are wood bison and mountain goats.

Under the their current NWT status, that isn't legally recognized, wood bison are listed as at risk and mountain goats may be at risk.

If it's implemented the Deh Cho would be able to use SARA to suggest species for protection that they're concerned about.

The Deh Cho would have a member on the Species at Risk Committee.

The committee will be made up of 15 members that will assess the status of species in the NWT using both traditional and scientific knowledge, said Fleck.

To qualify for protection under the legislation, a species has to be identified and undergo a status report.

The assessment process also includes consultation and public input. Every species that's listed will be reassessed every 10 years.

Once listed, regulations will be put in place to conserve the species and its habitat.

Regulations can limit harvesting of the species but that would only happen after consultation and if it's proven that's the only way to protect the species, said Fleck.

Dennis Deneron, a representative for Trout Lake, said he was pleased with the presentation about SARA.

"It's good to see something finally happening about species at risk," Deneron said.

He said the Boreal caribou is one species that Trout Lake is concerned about and would like to see more protection for, maybe under the act.

The community wants to know if increased development activity will have any effect on it, he said.

Deneron said information about the Species at Risk Act gave him some ideas about possible management plans for the Boreal caribou.