Species at Risk

Species at risk are plants and animals that are at risk of disappearing from the wild. These may be categorized as special concern, threatened, endangered, extirpated, or extinct. In Canada, we have both territorial and federal legislation to help identify, protect, and recover species at risk.

In the NWT, decisions as to whether a species should be added to the NWT Species at Risk List are made by the Conference of Management Authorities (a group of wildlife co-management boards and governments, including the GRRB) following species assessments and recommendations by the NWT Species at Risk Committee.

Federally, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assesses and makes recommendations about species at risk listings to the federal government. From there the responsible Minister decides whether species will be added to the species at risk list (known as Schedule 1).

Both territorially and federally, the GRRB helps to facilitate input from Renewable Resource Councils (RRCs), the GTC Lands Department, and the public while species are being assessed for listing.

When a plant or animal is added to the territorial or federal species at risk list, a management plan or recovery strategy will be developed soon after. The GRRB further works to ensure that community voices and input from across the Gwich’in Settlement Area are incorporated into these documents.

GRRB’s Consultation Rules, Policies & Procedures provides more information on how the GRRB works to facilitate community perspectives into these processes.