Multi-species action plan for Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and 2 other sites

Recommended citation:

For copies of the action plan, or for additional information on species at risk, including COSEWICStatus Reports, residence descriptions, recovery strategies, and other related recovery documents, please visit the Species At Risk Public Registry^Footnote1.

Cover illustration: Photos by Neil Ever Osborne and Stef Olcen (inset)

Également disponible en français sous le titre:
Plan d’action visant des espèces multiples dans la réserve de parc national, réserve d'aire marine nationale de conservation, et site du patrimoine Haïda Gwaii Haanas.

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, 2016. All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-660-05601-2
Catalogue no.: CW69-21/21-2016E-PDF
Content (excluding the illustrations) may be used without permission, with appropriate credit to the source.

Recommendation and Approval Statement

The Parks Canada Agency and the Council of the Haida Nation led the development of this federal action plan, working together with the other competent minister (DFO) under theSpecies at Risk Act. The Vice-President Operations and the Vice-President of the Haida Nation, upon recommendation of the relevant Field Unit Superintendent and co-chairs of the Archipelago Management Board (AMB), hereby approve this document indicating that the relevant Species at Risk Act requirements related to action plan development have been fulfilled in accordance with the Act.

Recommended by:

___________________________________________________
Ernie Gladstone
Field Unit Superintendent, Gwaii Haanas Field Unit, Parks Canada Agency

Recommended by:

___________________________________________________
Cindy Boyko
AMB Co-Chair representing the Council of the Haida Nation

Approved by:

___________________________________________________
Carol Sheedy
Vice-President Operations, Parks Canada Agency

Approved by:

___________________________________________________
Trevor Russ
Vice-President of the Haida Nation

Preface

The federal, provincial, and territorial government signatories under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk (1996)^Footnote2 agreed to establish complementary legislation and programs that provide for effective protection of species at risk throughout Canada. Under the Species at Risk Act (S.C. 2002, c.29) (SARA), the federal competent ministers are responsible for the preparation of action plans for species listed as Extirpated, Endangered, or Threatened for which recovery has been deemed feasible. They are also required to report on progress five years after the publication of the final document on the Species At Risk Public Registry.

Under SARA, one or more action plan(s) provide the detailed recovery planning that supports the strategic directions set out in the recovery strategy, or in the case of a multi-species action plan, the recovery strategies, for the species. The action plan outlines what needs to be done to achieve the population and distribution objectives (previously referred to as recovery goals and objectives) identified in the recovery strategies, including the measures to be taken to address the threats and monitor the recovery of the species, as well as the proposed measures to protect critical habitat that has been identified for the species. The action plan also includes an evaluation of the socio-economic costs of the action plan and the benefits to be derived from its implementation. The action plan is considered one in a series of documents that are linked and should be taken into consideration together with the COSEWICstatus reports, management plans, recovery strategies and other action plans produced for these species. This action plan will be updated to more comprehensively include measures to conserve and recover the marine species at risk once the first integrated Land, Sea, People management plan for Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve & Haida Heritage Site (hereafter called Gwaii Haanas) is complete.

The Minister responsible for the Parks Canada Agency (the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change) and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans are the competent ministers under SARA for the species found in Gwaii Haanas and have prepared this action plan to implement the recovery strategies on/in Gwaii Haanas lands/waters, as per section 47 of SARA. The action plan has been prepared with the Haida Nation and in cooperation with the province of British Columbia and Environment and Climate Change Canada as per section 48(1) of SARA.

Implementation of this action plan is subject to appropriations, priorities, and budgetary constraints of the participating jurisdictions and organizations.

Acknowledgments

Thanks are extended to employees and representatives of the Council of the Haida Nation for their input and perspectives during the action plan workshop held in May2015 and for additional support during the preparation of the action plan. Thanks also to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the BC Ministry of Environment, the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, and BC Parks and Environment and Climate Change Canada for reviewing a draft of this action plan. Finally, Parks Canada would like to thank the BC Conservation Data Centre, Natureserve Canada and the agencies cited above for providing data and information used in assessing the status of species in Gwaii Haanas.

Executive Summary

The Multi-species Action Plan for Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site meets the requirements for an action plan set out in the Species at Risk Act (SARA (s.47)) for species requiring an action plan that occur inside the boundary of the site. This action plan will be updated to more comprehensively include measures to conserve and recover the marine species at risk once the first integrated Land, Sea, People management plan for Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve & Haida Heritage Site (hereafter called Gwaii Haanas) is complete. Measures described in this plan will also provide benefits for other species of conservation concern that regularly occur in Gwaii Haanas.

The Minister responsible for the Parks Canada Agency (the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change) and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans are the competent ministers under SARA for the species found in Gwaii Haanas and have prepared this action plan to implement the recovery strategies on/in Gwaii Haanas lands/waters, as per section 47 of SARA. The action plan has been prepared with the Haida Nation and in cooperation with the province of British Columbia and Environment and Climate Change Canada as per section 48(1) of SARA.

Where it has been determined that Gwaii Haanas can conduct management activities to help recover and/or manage a species, site-specific objectives are identified in this plan and represent the site’s contribution to objectives presented in federal recovery strategies and management plans. Species at risk, their residences, and their habitat are protected by existing national park reserve and national marine conservation area reserve regulations and management regimes as well as by SARA. Additional measures that will contribute to the survival and recovery of the species in Gwaii Haanas are described in this plan. These measures were identified based on threats and measures outlined in federal and provincial status assessments and recovery documents, as well as knowledge of the status and needs of each species in Gwaii Haanas. Population monitoring actions are also identified for the species for which management actions at the sites can contribute to recovery.

No new critical habitat is identified in this action plan. Measures used for protection of existing critical habitat are described.

Measures proposed in this action plan will have limited socio-economic impact and place no restrictions on land use outside of Gwaii Haanas. Direct costs of implementing this action plan will be borne by Parks Canada. Indirect costs are expected to be minimal, while benefits will include positive impacts on site ecological integrity, greater awareness and appreciation of the value of biodiversity, and opportunities for engagement of local communities and visitors to Gwaii Haanas.

Table of Contents

• Recommendation and Approval Statement
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• Executive Summary
• Table of Contents
• 1. Context
  • 1.1. Scope of the Action Plan
• 2. Site-based Population, Distribution & Recovery Objectives
• 3. Conservation and Recovery Measures
• 4. Critical Habitat
  • a. Proposed Measures to Protect Critical Habitat
• 5. Evaluation of Socio-Economic Costs and Benefits
  • 5.1. Costs
  • 5.2. Benefits
• 6. Measuring Progress
• 7. References

1. Context

Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site (hereafter called Gwaii Haanas) is a 5,000km² protected area (1,500km² of land and 3,500km² of seas) known for its distinct island flora and fauna, rich marine life, examples of living Haida culture, and cooperative management structure. It is accessible only by boat or seaplane and comprises the southern part of the island archipelago of Haida Gwaii, approximately 130kilometres off the coast of British Columbia and 640km north of Vancouver. It is an area of many transitions, from deep-sea to continental slope to shallow shelf to rugged islands to mountain-tops, and it remained an unglaciated refugia during the last ice age. The islands of Haida Gwaii have been called “the Galapagos of the north” for their rich and often unique biological diversity, and the surrounding waters support some of the most abundant and diverse marine communities found in temperate waters worldwide.

Gwaii Haanas is a Haida Heritage Site (HHS) commemorating the living culture of the Haida and their long relationship with the land and sea of Gwaii Haanas through examples of monumental poles, Haida architecture, and Haida Gwaii Watchmen who live on site. One of the islands within Gwaii Haanas, SGang Gwaay, was declared a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1987. Before the 19th century disease epidemics, there were permanent villages and seasonal habitation sites spread throughout Gwaii Haanas, supporting thousands of people. The remote nature of the islands meant that European settlers did not arrive until relatively recently, although ship-based explorers and traders interacted with the Haida for hundreds of years before that.

In 2010, with the establishment of the National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR) surrounding the existing National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, Gwaii Haanas is now managed from mountain-top to sea floor. Approximately half of the Gwaii Haanas species assessed as being at risk by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) are terrestrial and half are marine, with a few species crossing the margin between terrestrial and marine for different parts of their life cycles.

Gwaii Haanas is managed cooperatively by the Archipelago Management Board (AMB), made up of representatives of the Government of Canada (Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada) and the Council of the Haida Nation. The AMB is guided by the Gwaii Haanas Agreement (1993) and the Gwaii Haanas Marine Agreement (2010), which describe how Canada and the Haida Nation will cooperate in the planning, operation, management and use of Gwaii Haanas. A comprehensive community of stakeholders provides advice to Gwaii Haanas during the development of site management plans.

Species at risk, their residences, and their habitat are protected by existing national park and marine conservation area regulations and management regimes as well as by SARA. Recovery measures for species at risk will be integrated within the framework of Gwaii Haanas’ ongoing ecological integrity maintenance, restoration and monitoring programs. These programs make contributions to the conservation and recovery of species at risk through inventory and monitoring and the implementation of habitat restoration projects and other measures aimed at biodiversity conservation.

In addition to status assessments, a number of recovery strategies, management plans, and action plans have been prepared for species considered in this action plan. Those documents provide guidance for the conservation and recovery of individual species, including the identification of objectives and the measures required to meet those objectives, the identification of critical habitat, and activities likely to destroy the critical habitat. This action plan was developed and will be implemented in a manner that is consistent with those documents, and should be viewed as part of this body of linked strategies and plans.

1.1. Scope of the Action Plan

The geographic scope of this action plan includes all lands and waters managed by Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site(Figure 1). This multi-species action plan has been written specifically for Gwaii Haanas because the Parks Canada Agency (PCA) is legally responsible for species at risk on/in PCA-administered lands and waters, has the ability to take direct conservation action, and deals with different threats, legislation, and management priorities than areas outside Gwaii Haanas.

The Multi-species Action Plan for Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site meets the requirements for an action plan set out in the Species at Risk Act (SARA (s.47)) for species requiring an action plan that occur inside the boundary of the site. This action plan will be updated to more comprehensively include measures to conserve and recover the marine species at risk once the first integrated Land, Sea, People management plan for Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve & Haida Heritage Site (hereafter called Gwaii Haanas) is complete. Measures described in this plan will also provide benefits for other species of conservation concern that regularly occur in Gwaii Haanas. This approach both responds to the legislated requirements of the SARA and provides the Parks Canada Agency with a comprehensive plan for species conservation and recovery at these sites. The plan will be amended as required to meet SARA requirements for action planning.

Figure 1. Geographic scope for the Multi-species Action Plan for Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and Haida Heritage Site. Gwaii Haanas is located on southern Haida Gwaii off the west coast of British Columbia.
© Parks Canada

2. Site-based Population, Distribution & Recovery Objectives

The potential for management actions in Gwaii Haanas that would contribute to the conservation and recovery of each species of concern has been assessed. Site-specific population and distribution objectives were developed where possible (Appendices A and B), and in cases where such objectives would be too difficult to monitor due to logistical challenges and the remote nature of the site, alternate objectives were set to identify the contribution that can be made towards achieving the objectives presented in federal recovery strategies and management plans. Because they are directly linked to the Gwaii Haanas population and distribution objectives, monitoring activities are reported in Appendices A and B rather than in the tables of conservation and recovery measures (Appendices C1, C2, D1 and D2). Gwaii Haanas-specific population or distribution objectives may not be meaningful for certain species for a variety of reasons, including the fact that particular threats (such as industrial activities) may not exist in Gwaii Haanas, that the species is only transient in the area, or that the population within Gwaii Haanas is a very small part of the Canadian distribution. If there is little opportunity for Gwaii Haanas to contribute to the recovery of a species, site-specific objectives and conservation actions may be limited to protection measures in place under the Canada National Parks Act, the National Marine Conservation Areas Act and SARA, and monitoring, habitat maintenance, and restoration through the existing site management regime. For many species, population and distribution objectives for Gwaii Haanas are not meaningful at the scale of this action plan for various reasons, including 1) threats cannot be controlled in the park or do not exist in the park (e.g., wide-spread disease, forestry or other industrial practices, etc); 2) species is only transient; 3) population within the site is a very small part of the Canadian distribution or is unknown or unconfirmed

3. Conservation and Recovery Measures

The lands and waters of Haida Gwaii are enormously rich and biologically diverse, and Gwaii Haanas encompasses a great many different terrestrial and marine ecosystems and habitats. Within Gwaii Haanas, we have an opportunity to investigate restoration techniques, and to contrast ecological and life history parameters with lands outside the site where logging and other industrial activities continue.

Some of the land within Gwaii Haanas was logged prior to its protection and is still in the process of recovering from extensive habitat alteration. The proliferation of introduced invasive species such as Sitka black-tailed deer, Norway and black rats, and raccoons is another ecological challenge for many terrestrial species at risk on Haida Gwaii. Deer browsing destroys forest understory vegetation, significantly altering terrestrial habitat, and rats have decimated entire colonies of seabirds by preying on eggs, chicks, and adult birds. Gwaii Haanas’ SGin Xaana (Night Birds Returning) project on invasive rat removal and restoration of seabird breeding colonies has garnered international attention, collaborators and support. Finally, wildlife diseases are a future challenge for which we must prepare advance responses, in hopes that the island nature of Gwaii Haanas might provide conservation opportunities not available elsewhere.

The NMCAR waters are managed somewhat differently than the land base. In addition to the core mandate of conservation, protection and recovery of species and ecosystems, the marine mandate includes ecologically sustainable use for the purposes of fisheries, transport, etc. Recovery and conservation of marine species are by nature collaborative efforts, because many of the threats are widespread (climate change, oil spills) and can only be mitigated through partnerships. Most of the marine species at risk in Gwaii Haanas waters are highly mobile and make extensive use of habitats outside Gwaii Haanas, sometimes migrating thousands of kilometers each year.

This Action Plan includes assessment of the knowledge, threats and status of populations of each species in Gwaii Haanas. The action planning process identified measures to achieve site-specific population and distribution objectives, along with measures required to protect the species and to learn more about them. The process of determining which measures will be conducted by Gwaii Haanas (Appendices C1 & C2) and which measures will be encouraged through partnerships or when additional resources come available (Appendices D1 & D2) involved prioritization and analysis. The process primarily considered ecological effectiveness of measures, and also included consideration of opportunities to increase the value of visitor experience to the site, opportunities to increase awareness through external relations, and financial opportunities and constraints.

Providing opportunities for the public to learn about and experience protected areas is a central component of Parks Canada’s mandate. In addition to the implementation of conservation measures that contribute to species recovery and management, Gwaii Haanas plays an important role in promoting awareness and appreciation of species at risk and engaging partners and the public in actions towards their conservation and recovery.

Wherever possible, the site is taking an ecosystem approach, prioritizing actions that benefit numerous species at once to effectively and efficiently protect and recover populations of species at risk. Four themes emerged from the analysis; invasive species management, outreach and engagement, wildlife disease management, and restoration and protection.

Invasive Species Management

Gwaii Haanas will continue to pursue invasive species management projects, both as a means of restoring balance to site ecosystems (a priority in the site management plan) and as a contribution to global research on methods, planning and execution of invasive species management and long-term prospects for ecosystem restoration. In 2011, Parks Canada, the Haida Nation, Island Conservation and Coastal Conservation implemented a ground-based eradication of invasive Norway rats from Arichika and Bischof Islands, once home to significant Ancient Murrelet colonies. The project also drew on technical expertise from international experts in New Zealand and Mexico, and native species are already responding to the absence of rats. Black oystercatchers, shorebirds which are considered to be sentinel species that respond quickly to changes in ecosystem health, are increasing in numbers and are fledging more chicks in the absence of rats. Automated acoustic listening devices have been deployed on these islands and on unaffected islands to measure seabird response to the eradication.

Outreach and Engagement

Gwaii Haanas is a national park reserve, a Haida heritage site, and a national marine conservation area reserve with a mandate for protection and ecologically sustainable use, so the area is uniquely situated to allow for examination of the intersection of human use and conservation on lands in BC and in Pacific waters, and to share lessons learned with colleagues and the public. The mandatory visitor orientation session provides a unique opportunity for engaging visitors in easy and meaningful activities that support species at risk conservation and restoration, such as reporting wildlife sightings to improve our understanding of population size and distribution of species at risk, or using the latest wildlife viewing guidelines to decrease disturbance to sensitive species such as marine mammals.

Wildlife Disease Management

Wildlife diseases such as White-nose Syndrome, which is decimating bat populations in eastern North America and moving west, and chytrid fungus which has been identified as a key cause of amphibian decline globally, are future challenges for which we must prepare by monitoring Gwaii Haanas bats and toads, analyzing samples to check for disease presence, and implementing decontamination protocols. Haida Gwaii is an island archipelago more than 100kms offshore, so Gwaii Haanas may be a key location for retaining un-infected populations of these species at risk if we are able to mobilize support across Haida Gwaii for efforts to keep these diseases off island.

Restoration and Protection

Restoration and protection of habitats and populations are key activities for the conservation and recovery of species at risk, and the AMB has been implementing a number of such projects since long before the Species at Risk Act became law in 2002. Work will continue on projects such as identifying and mapping breeding sites for Northern Goshawk, estimating population size and distribution for Northern Goshawk and Northern Saw-whet Owl, developing methods for snag tree creation for Northern Saw-whet Owl breeding habitat, working with partners to explore opportunities for kelp forest restoration, and preparing an oil spill response for the protection of ecologically sensitive sites and species in Gwaii Haanas.

The Gwaii Haanas team is a recognized leader in ecological restoration and integrated management. The remote nature of the area creates certain management challenges but also opens up opportunities for a living laboratory to explore restoration techniques that could be used elsewhere on Haida Gwaii, in BC, or anywhere in the world. There has been considerable academic interest in the species and ecosystems of Gwaii Haanas, providing a consistent source of research that supports management and restoration efforts and provides opportunities for collaboration to advance conservation and recovery implementation projects.

4. Critical Habitat

Critical habitat is “the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species’ critical habitat in the recovery strategy or in an action plan for the species” (SARA s.2(1)). As of September2015, it is not possible to identify any additional critical habitat in Gwaii Haanas for Endangered, Threatened or Extirpated species listed on Schedule 1 of SARA. Critical habitat has already been identified in recovery strategies for Marbled Murrelet and Northern Saw-whet Owl (brooksi subpopulation) and for Humpback Whale (north Pacific population) and Northeast Pacific Northern Resident Killer Whale population. Critical habitat in Gwaii Haanas will also shortly be identified for Northeast Pacific Offshore Killer Whale population, Northeast Pacific Transient Killer Whale population, Leatherback Seaturtle, and Northern Abalone. Where critical habitat is not yet identified or not yet complete, it will be identified in an upcoming or revised action plan or revised recovery strategy; refer to the schedule of studies in relevant recovery strategies for further details.

a. Proposed Measures to Protect Critical Habitat

There is no new critical habitat identified in this action plan. Critical habitat within Gwaii Haanas that is identified in other recovery documents is legally protected from destruction under section 58(1) of SARA or through Orders made under subsections 58(4) and 58(5).

5. Evaluation of Socio-Economic Costs and Benefits

The Species at Risk Act requires the responsible federal minister to undertake “an evaluation of the socio-economic costs of the action plan and the benefits to be derived from its implementation.”

5.1. Costs

The total cost to implement this action plan will be borne by Parks Canada out of existing salaries and goods and services dollars. This figure includes incremental salary costs, materials, equipment, and contracting of professional services for measures outlined in Appendices A1 and A2. No major socio-economic costs to partners or stakeholders are expected as a result of this action plan. Additional resources or partnerships will be sought to support the measures outlined in Appendices B1 and B2.

Many of the proposed measures will be integrated into the operational management of Gwaii Haanas and there will be few new costs. These costs to Parks Canada will be covered by prioritization of existing funds and salary dollars allocated to the site and thereby will not result in additional costs to the public.

The action plan applies only to lands and waters within the boundaries of Gwaii Haanas, and does not create any use restrictions to outside land or water. As such, this action plan will place no direct socio-economic costs on the public. However, minor restrictions may be placed on visitor activities in Gwaii Haanas to protect and recover species at risk.

5.2. Benefits

Measures presented in this action plan for Gwaii Haanas will contribute to meeting recovery strategy objectives for Ermine haidarum subspecies, Marbled Murrelet, and Northern Saw-whet owl brooksi subspecies, and for Blue Whale Pacific population, Fin Whale Pacific population, Humpback Whale north Pacific population, Northeast Pacific Northern Resident Killer Whale population, Northeast Pacific Transient Killer Whale population, Leatherback Seaturtle, North Pacific Right Whale, Northern Abalone, Pink-footed Shearwater, Sei Whale Pacific population and Short-tailed Albatross. Measures presented here will also contribute to meeting management objectives for 27 other species of conservation concern. These measures are expected to have an overall positive impact on ecological integrity and enhance opportunities for appreciation of Gwaii Haanas and its species by visitors and the general public. This action plan includes measures that could result in benefits to the public, such as positive impacts on biodiversity and the value individuals place on preserving biodiversity (Federal, Provincial, Territorial Governments of Canada, 2014).

The proposed measures seek a balanced approach to reducing or eliminating threats to species-at-risk populations and habitats, and include protection of individuals and their habitat (e.g., restrictions to human activities within areas occupied by the species, combined with ongoing research and monitoring), potential species re-establishment, and increasing public awareness and stewardship (e.g., visitor programs, public outreach etc).

Potential economic benefits of the conservation and recovery of the species at risk found in Gwaii Haanas cannot be easily quantified, as many of the values derived from wildlife are non-market commodities that are difficult to appraise in financial terms. Marine and terrestrial wildlife, in all its forms, has value in and of itself, and is valued by the public for aesthetic, cultural, spiritual, recreational, educational, historical, economic, medical, ecological and scientific reasons. The conservation of wildlife at risk is an important component of the Government of Canada’s commitment to conserving biological diversity, and is important to current and future economic and natural wealth.

Implementing this action plan is expected to have benefits for visitors to Gwaii Haanas, local residents and partners. These include opportunities to learn about and take part in the conservation and recovery of culturally important species at risk, opportunities for visitors and local communities to be involved in conservation of the Gwaii Haanas ecosystem, and opportunities to raise awareness of the value of conservation in the region.

6. Measuring Progress

Reporting on implementation of the action plan (under s. 55 of SARA) will be done by assessing progress towards implementing the measures. Reporting on the ecological impacts of the action plan will be done by assessing progress towards meeting the site-based population and distribution objectives.

7. References

Archipelago Management Board. 2003. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site Management Plan for the Terrestrial Area. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, Skidegate, BC. 23 pp.

Canada and Council of the Haida Nation. 2010. Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site Interim Management Plan and Zoning Plan. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, Skidegate, BC. i + 37 pp.

Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Governments of Canada. 2014. 2012 Canadian Nature Survey: Awareness, participation, and expenditures in nature-based recreation, conservation, and subsistence activities. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Councils of Resource Ministers.

Appendix A: Gwaii Haanas (GH)-specific objectives and approach to monitoring, conservation and recovery of terrestrial species at risk.

Appendix B: Gwaii Haanas (GH)-specific interim objectives and approach to monitoring, conservation and recovery of marine species at risk. This is a partial action plan for the marine species and will be updated upon completion of the first integrated management plan for Gwaii Haanas including zoning.

Appendix C1: Terrestrial conservation and recovery measures that will be conducted by Gwaii Haanas (GH).

Appendix C2: Marine conservation and recovery measures that will be conducted by Gwaii Haanas (GH).

Appendix D1: Other terrestrial conservation and recovery measures that will be encouraged through partnerships or when additional resources become available.

Appendix D2: Other marine conservation and recovery measures that will be encouraged through partnerships or when additional resources become available.

Appendix E: Effects on the Environment and Other Species

A strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is conducted on all SARA recovery planning documents, in accordance with the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals. The purpose of a SEA is to incorporate environmental considerations into the development of public policies, plans, and program proposals to support environmentally sound decision-making and to evaluate whether the outcomes of a recovery planning document could affect any component of the environment or achievement of any of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy’s^Footnote9 goals and targets.

Recovery planning is intended to benefit species at risk and biodiversity in general. However, it is recognized that recovery measures may also inadvertently lead to environmental effects beyond the intended benefits. The planning process, which is based on Canada’s national guidelines, directly incorporates consideration of all environmental effects, with a particular focus on possible impacts upon non-target species or habitats. The results of the SEA are incorporated directly into the plan itself, and are summarized below.

Overall, it is anticipated that implementation of this action plan will have a beneficial impact on native non-target species, ecological processes, and the environment in Gwaii Haanas. In the interest of restoration of native ecosystems and species at risk, some actions in this plan include removal of invasive non-native species. This plan puts into practice recovery goals presented in recovery strategies already developed for some of the species at risk in this plan, which were subject to SEAs during the development of those documents. Further, this action plan was developed to benefit all species at risk that regularly occur in Gwaii Haanas; all of these species were considered in the planning process, any potential secondary effects were considered and mitigated, and where appropriate, measures were designed to benefit multiple species. The planning process was also guided by priorities identified in the site’s ecological integrity monitoring program, the Gwaii Haanas management plan (Archipelago Management Board. 2003), and early drafts of the Land, Sea, People Plan (in prep). Consequently measures outlined in this plan address key management priorities aimed at improving the broader ecological health of Gwaii Haanas. Finally, this plan outlines stewardship measures, educational programs, and awareness initiatives that will involve Gwaii Haanas visitors, partners and the general public. This will lead to greater appreciation, understanding, and action towards the conservation and recovery of species at risk in general.