De-listing of Prairie Dogs as Species at Risk
Res #: 23-21A
Number: 23
Year: 2021
Midterm: No
Expired: No
Responses Received: Yes
Departments: Environment and Climate Change Canada
WHEREAS Black Tailed Prairie Dogs are a species protected by The Species at Risk Act; and their status has recently been heightened from “Threatened” to “Endangered”; and
WHEREAS local knowledge is such that there are exponentially more Black Tailed Prairie Dogs today than there was 40 years ago, and they are out of control; and
WHEREAS legislation in neighboring Montana designates the Black Tailed Prairie Dog as a vertebrate pest and they are controlled. This is not aligned with Canadian legislation and protection efforts which are much more restrictive; and
WHEREAS the area occupied in Southern Saskatchewan is the northern most area of their habitat.
BE IT RESOLVED that SARM lobby the Federal Government to remove the Black Tailed Prairie Dog as a species designated by The Species at Risk Act.
Responses From: Environment and Climate Change Canada
April 18, 2024
The management of species at risk in Canada involves multiple entities. The assessment of risk to species under the Species at Risk Act is evaluated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC), an arm’s-length group of experts. Environment and Climate Change Canada is the lead for listing species under the Species at Risk Act. After a species is assessed by COSEWIC and consultations have been held, the Governor in Council may decide, on the recommendation of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, to add the species to the List of Wildlife Species at Risk (Schedule 1) of the Species at Risk Act. Parks Canada is the national lead for recovery planning for Black-tailed Prairie Dog, which is listed as Threatened on Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act.
COSEWIC’s 2011 species status report for the Black-Tailed Prairie Dog is available online. A revised assessment report is anticipated within the next six to twelve months, after which the process to consider amending the List of Wildlife Species at Risk will begin.
The Canadian population of the black-tailed prairie dog is considered a distinct local population because it is at the northernmost point of the species’ range and is isolated from populations in the United States. Additional information and local knowledge of observations can be valuable for assessment of threats to the species. Members of the Rural Municipality of Val Marie shared their knowledge of Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs with COSEWIC representatives in April 2023. At the time, it was recommended to the RM that they ask their provincial COSEWIC representative to keep them apprised of the progress of COSEWIC’s upcoming report and assessment. Please feel free to reach out to Janet.Scott@ec.gc.ca for a status update on the listing. I also encourage the rural municipalities to participate in the consultation phase. If you wish to have more information regarding the management of species at risk in Grasslands National Park, please reach out to Patricia Fornarolo, the Park’s superintendent.
Public Inquiries Centre – Environment and Climate Change Canada
