Recovery Planning in British Columbia

What is recovery planning?
Recovery planning is a process to identify and facilitate the implementation of priority actions to ensure the survival and recovery of species and ecosystems at risk. The goal of recovery planning is to help arrest or reverse the decline of a species, and/or reduce or remove the threats to its long-term persistence in the wild. Recovery of a species can range from maintenance of current population size and distribution (survival) to fully restoring the species as a viable, self-sustaining population (recovery).

Recovery planning is generally accomplished through a two stage process: 1. development of a recovery strategy; and in most cases, 2. development of one or more action plan(s).

What is a Recovery Strategy?
A recovery strategy is a strategic, science-based document that provides advice to government and others on whether recovery is biologically feasible, and if so, what is required to achieve recovery. A recovery strategy outlines what is and what is and is not known about a species or ecosystem, identifies threats to the species or ecosystem, and what should be done to mitigate those threats. Recovery strategies set recovery goals and objectives, and recommend approaches to recover the species or ecosystem.

Recovery strategies are usually prepared by a recovery team, with members from agencies responsible for the management of the species or ecosystem, experts from other agencies, universities, conservation groups, aboriginal groups, and stakeholder groups as appropriate.

The recovery strategy provides valuable information on threats to the species and their recovery needs that may be used by individuals, communities, land users, and conservationists interested in species at risk recovery.

What is an Action Plan?
In most cases, one or more action plan(s) will be developed to define and guide implementation of the recovery strategy. Action plans include more detailed information about what needs to be done to meet the goals and objectives of the recovery strategy.

How is Recovery Planning Accomplished in
British Columbia?
Under the Accord for the Protection of Species at Risk in Canada, and the Canada-British Columbia Agreement on Species at Risk (PDF 1.46MB), the Government of British Columbia has agreed to engage in recovery planning for species at risk in cooperation with the federal government.

Responsibility for recovery planning for a species or ecosystem at risk is generally assigned to the agency with legal responsibility for management of a particular species or ecosystem and/or its habitat. Table 1 indicates how responsibility for recovery planning in British Columbia is typically determined.

Table 1: Agencies responsible for recovery planning in British Columbia

When a federal agency is responsible for recovery planning for a species in British Columbia, the recovery strategy is posted on the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) public registry. Recovery strategies co-led by the province and a federal agency may also be posted on the SARA public registry.

Recovery strategies prepared as advice to the province of British Columbia are posted on this webpage. These strategies will be available for adoption by the federal government for posting on the SARA public registry.

Provincial recovery strategies are sometimes posted as drafts on this webpage to assist the federal government with the adoption process. Draft recovery strategies undergo targeted federal consultation to meet legal requirements under the federal SARA. At the conclusion of these targeted consultations, the province will consider changes to the recovery strategy and post it in its final form.

Recovery strategies are usually prepared by a recovery team with members from agencies responsible for the management of the species or ecosystem, experts from other agencies, universities, conservation groups, aboriginal groups, and stakeholder groups as appropriate. See the link below for a list of recovery teams that are currently active in British Columbia

List of Recovery Teams and Recovery Action/Implementation Groups for BC Species and Ecosystems at Risk (PDF 68KB)

Draft Provincial Recovery Strategies

• Draft Recovery Strategy for the Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontana) in British Columbia (January 2008) (PDF 936KB)
• Draft Recovery Strategy for the Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola) in British Columbia (February 2008) (PDF 392KB)
• Draft Recovery Strategy for the Mormon Metalmark (Apodemia mormo deserticola) in British Columbia (February 2008) (PDF 258KB)
• Draft Recovery Strategy for the Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata) in British Columbia (February 2008) (PDF 291KB)
• Draft Recovery Strategy for Sand-verbena Moth (Copablepharon fuscum) in British Columbia (PDF 287KB)
• Draft Recovery Strategy for Spalding’s Campion (Silene spaldingii) in British Columbia (PDF 560KB)
• Draft Recovery Strategy for the Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) in British Columbia (January 2008) (PDF 636KB)
• Draft Recovery Strategy for the Western Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) in British Columbia (January 2008) (PDF 347KB)
• Draft Recovery Strategy for the Western Screech Owl (Megascops kennicottii macfarlanei) in British Columbia (February 2008) (PDF 217KB)

Provincial Recovery Strategies

• Mountain Caribou (Rangifer tarandus) Recovery Strategy (September 2002) (PDF 1.9MB)
• North Cascades Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) Recovery Plan (June 2004) (PDF 1.41MB)
• Recovery Strategy for the Grand Coulee owl-clover (Orthocarpus barbatus) in British Columbia (November 2007) (PDF 818KB)
• Recovery Strategy for Greenish Blue, insulanus subspecies (Plebejus saepiolus insulanus) in British Columbia (June 2007) (PDF 212KB)
• Recovery Strategy for Lemmon's holly fern (Polystichum lemmonii) in British Columbia (July 2007) (PDF 273KB)
• Recovery Strategy for margined streamside moss (Scouleria marginata Britt) in British Columbia (June 2007) (PDF 460KB)
• Recovery Strategy for poor pocket moss (Fissidens pauperculus M. Howe) in British Columbia (June 2007) (PDF 452KB)
• Recovery Strategy for Puget Oregonian Snail (Cryptomastix devia) in British Columbia (January 2008) (PDF 656KB)
• Recovery Strategy for rigid apple moss (Bartramia stricta Bridel) in British Columbia (June 2007) (PDF 1.2MB)
• Recovery Strategy for silver hair moss (Fabronia pusilla Raddi) in British Columbia (June 2007) (PDF 381KB)
• Recovery Strategy for the southern maiden-hair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris) in British Columbia (November 2007) (PDF 927KB)

Provincial or co-led Recovery Strategies on the SARA public registry:

• Recovery Strategy for Cultus Pygmy Sculpin (Cottus sp.) in Canada (October 2007)
• Recovery Strategy for Hotwater Physa (Physella wrighti) in Canada (January 2007)
• Recovery Strategy for Morrison Creek Lamprey (Lampetra richardsoni var. marifuga) in Canada (July 2007)
• Recovery Strategy for Multi-Species at Risk in Garry Oak Woodlands in Canada (July 2006)
• Recovery Strategy for Multi-Species at Risk in Maritime Meadows associated with Garry Oak Ecosystems in Canada July 2006)
• Recovery Strategy for Multi-Species at Risk in Vernal Pools and other Ephemeral Wet Areas Associated with Garry Oak Ecosystems in Canada (July 2006)
• Recovery Strategy for Nooksack Dace (Rhinichthys cataractae) in Canada (July 2007)
• Recovery Strategy for the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) in British Columbia (April 2004)
• Recovery Strategy for Paxton Lake, Enos Lake, and Vananda Creek Stickleback Species Pairs (Gasterosteus spp.) in Canada (July 2007)
• Recovery Strategy for Vancouver Lamprey (Lampetra macrostoma) in Canada (September 2007)

Links to some Recovery Plan/Team and related websites:

• Badger Recovery Team
• Garry Oak Ecosystem Recovery Team
• Greater Georgia Basin Steelhead Recovery Plan
• Marbled Murrelet Recovery Team
• Revelstoke Caribou Recovery Committee
• Recovery Initiatives for Caribou of Central British Columbia
• South Coast Conservation Program
• South Okanagan-Similkameen Conservation Program
• Upper Columbia White Sturgeon