Wolverine

Species information

The following is a report on progress made towards the protection and recovery of Wolverine (Gulo gulo) in Ontario from 2007 to 2020, based on Ontario’s species-specific recovery policy. This report meets the legislative requirement for a review of progress under the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA or “the Act”). Wolverine is listed as threatened on the Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO) List under the ESA.

Wolverine has been classified as a species at risk since 2004. It was originally classified as a threatened species and was listed as such under the ESA when it came into force in June 2008.

The species-specific recovery policy for Wolverine, known as the Government Response Statement (GRS) was published in 2016 and includes the government’s recovery goal for the species and the actions and priorities it intends to lead or support to help achieve that goal. The GRS considers science advice provided in the recovery strategy, when developing recovery actions for the species. As legislated in the Act, the purpose of this review is to report on progress made towards implementing the protection and recovery actions in the GRS. The review can also help identify opportunities to adjust and adapt the implementation of protection and recovery actions to achieve the recovery goal for the species.

Further information about Wolverine, including the threats that it faces, and actions being taken to help protect and recover this species is available on the Government of Ontario webpage for Wolverine. A summary on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Wolverine and an annual update on the broader species at risk program (i.e. the Introduction to the 2021 Review of Progress report) is available on the Review of Progress towards the Protection and Recovery of Ontario’s Species at Risk webpage.

Snapshot: Progress towards the protection and recovery of Wolverine

Progress towards meeting the recovery goal

• The recovery goal in the Government Response Statement (GRS) for Wolverine in Ontario is to “maintain the current distribution of Wolverine in Ontario and support natural increases in the population abundance and distribution”.
• Progress has been made towards implementing all of the government-led and government-supported objectives and the majority of the associated actions. Examples of progress include:
  • researching and promoting best management practices for fur trapping that minimize harm to Wolverine through efforts undertaken by the Ontario Fur Managers Federation (OFMF), the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (NDMNRF), and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada with funding support through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program (SARSP)
  • developing Community Based Land Use Plans and gathering of Traditional Ecological Knowledge on Wolverine through efforts undertaken in partnership with First Nations Communities in the Far North
  • extensive work by WCS Canada to track and monitor Wolverine while collecting data on habitat use
• It is recommended that continued efforts be made to address all GRS actions, and in particular develop, implement, and update, as needed, best management practices to reduce the effects of development activities, such as mining, infrastructure, and energy development on and around Wolverine dens.

Occurrences and distribution

• Wolverine are widely distributed across northern Ontario, with an estimated range of 117,900 square kilometres based on recent observations.
• The Natural Heritage Information Centre (NHIC) has received over 6,900 records of Wolverine, with over 6,700 of these observations occurring since the species was first listed in 2004. The records are based on observations between 1954 and 2020, with a significant majority of observations resulting from deliberate surveys for the species.

Since 2008, the species has been observed in locations where they were not previously known to occur and at locations previously thought to be historical. Based on up-to-date information, the species’ extant distribution is estimated to be 90,400 square kilometres larger than in 2008. This increase in estimated distribution may be partially attributed to increased search effort and new observations in areas where the species was previously present. However, recent monitoring indicates that the species has been expanding its core range in recent years, and the increase in the estimated distribution may be reflective of this range expansion, particularly along the eastern periphery of the species’ range.

Government-supported stewardship projects

• Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program the Government of Ontario has enabled its supported stewardship partners to conduct 17 projects (by providing $1,001,751 in funding) designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Wolverine. Six of these projects ($446,650) focused exclusively on the species, while the other 11 projects ($555,101) focused on multiple species at risk, including Wolverine.
• The government’s support helped its stewardship partners to involve 249 individuals who volunteered 4,930 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for species at risk, including Wolverine. The estimated value of these voluntary contributions, as well as additional funding and in-kind support, is $1,069,515.
• Stewardship partners reported providing outreach on multiple species at risk, including Wolverine, to 15,449 individuals.
• Through the Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, the government also provided funding to six projects ($75,300) to conduct research on collecting genetic information on Wolverine populations, developing monitoring protocols for this species, and improving understanding of the species’ distribution.

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

• The Government of Ontario has issued seven permits for this species: Six of these permits were ‘possession or transport for scientific or educational purposes’ (9(5)(a)) permits, and one was a ‘social or economic benefit’ (17(2)(d)) permit.
• Twenty-two activities have been registered for the species. The activities were registered under ‘Early exploration mining’ (section 23.10), ‘Newly listed and transition species’ (section 23.13), ‘Species protection or recovery activities (section 23.17), ‘Threats to human health or safety’ (section 23.18), and ‘notice of incidental trapping’ (section 23.19) under Ontario Regulation 242/08 of the ESA.

Reporting on the progress towards the protection and recovery of Wolverine

The implementation of government-led and government-supported actions demonstrates progress towards reaching the desired objectives and the recovery goal set out in the GRS.

Progress towards implementing government-led actions

Progress has been made towards implementing the majority of government-led actions identified in the GRS. Common actions for the government to lead as it works towards achieving a species’ recovery goal include:

• Encourage the submission of Wolverine data to the Government of Ontario’s central repository for species occurrence data at the Natural Heritage Information Centre.
• Protect the Wolverine and its habitat through the ESA.
• Educate other agencies and authorities involved in planning and environmental assessment processes on the protection requirements under the ESA.

Additionally, the government has directly undertaken the following species-specific actions:

Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales

In 2010 the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry (NDMNRF) (formerly the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry) produced the Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales (Stand and Site Guide).

This guide provides mandatory direction for forest managers in developing operational prescriptions for forest operations on Crown land in Ontario, including the development of a den site management plan for Wolverine, while ensuring the maintenance and long-term health of the managed forest. The document provides coarse and fine filter direction to conserve biodiversity as well as specific standards, guidelines, and best management practices for areas of concern that apply to harvest, renewal, tending operations, and construction, use and maintenance of roads, landings and forestry aggregate pits. Direction in the Stand and Site Guide is implemented in conjunction with the Forest Management Guide for Boreal Landscapes which also contributes to broader habitat requirements for Wolverine (e.g. large landscape patches and dynamic Caribou habitat schedule). Development of these guides was undertaken by NDMNRF, numerous partners from the forest industry and relevant stakeholder groups, including environmental non-government organizations.

The Stand and Site Guide provides coarse and fine filter direction and site-specific areas of concern for the protection of species at risk and their habitats, with specific direction provided for Wolverine and its habitat. This includes information on maintaining Wolverine habitat within managed forest areas and managing identified dens for this species. For example, the Stand and Site Guide identifies features that should be considered part of a Wolverine den site, including an area of concern around these features. Standards and guidelines are then provided as to how these features shall be protected during operations and what shall be included in a den site management plan.

The mandatory use of approved forest management guides in forest management planning is enabled by the Forest Management Planning Manual and the Forest Operations and Silviculture Manual which are both regulated under the Crown Forest Sustainability Act, 1994. Forest management guides are reviewed at least once every ten years and revised as necessary based on new relevant science, operational experience and/or legislative or policy changes.

Climate change action

Ontario has played an important role in fighting climate change and has taken significant steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the province's emissions down significantly since 2005. The provincial government continues to work towards a balanced approach to reduce emissions and prepare for the impacts of climate change. Our plan to address climate change and protect our air, land and water proposes effective and affordable ways to address climate change and strengthen climate resiliency, without a carbon tax.

Ontario has launched a broad, multi-sector provincial climate change impact assessment that will use the best available science and information to better understand where and how climate change will impact Ontario. An advisory panel on climate change has also been established and an outline has been created regarding how they will provide expert advice on the implementation of the province’s recommended climate change actions.

The provincial plan for addressing climate change is intended to evolve and adapt as a living document to address environmental priorities as new information, ideas and innovations emerge.

Community based land use planning

Community based land use planning is a joint process between First Nations and Ontario to make consensus-based decisions on what lands are open to development and what should be protected in the Far North of Ontario. Throughout the planning process, First Nations contribute their traditional knowledge, historical relationship to the land, and community interests to inform decisions around economic development and protection. Ontario contributes provincial interests related to economic development and environmental protection, provides mapping and science information, and ensures opportunities for public and stakeholder input. Each Community Based Land Use Plan (CBLUP) documents the outcomes of the planning process.

Plans define land use areas and assign a designation to each area. Designations are used to set out the broad objectives and priorities for an area, and the land uses that are permitted and not permitted. The three designations that planning teams use in their plans include:

• Dedicated Protected Areas (DPAs)
• Enhanced Management Areas (EMAs)
• General Use Areas (GUAs)

Planning teams apply a DPA designation where there is an interest in keeping areas free from industrial development, because they represent sensitive or significant ecological or cultural values. As specified in the Far North Act, 2010, certain developments, land uses and activities may not be carried out in a protected area including: prospecting, mining claim staking or mineral exploration, opening a mine, commercial timber harvest, and oil and gas exploration or production.

Protection is provided for a range of wildlife species and values, including Wolverine, by incorporating information and knowledge (including Traditional Ecological Knowledge and scientific data), through DPA designations and through management direction for future activities in EMAs and GUAs. The aim in designing these land use areas is to consider habitat, high-use areas and travel corridors that extend within and beyond a planning area to adjacent protected areas.

Planning teams consider a broad landscape perspective in identifying how to preserve important habitat for a range of species, including Wolverine. Designing larger protected areas that prohibit certain activities ensures maintenance of habitat, helps minimize fragmentation and aids in protecting species at important times during the year. Consideration of connectivity of the protected areas within a planning area and between adjacent communities’ planning areas helps to maintain ecological and cultural values.

Once a plan is in place, all activities must be consistent with plan direction (i.e., the land uses that are permitted and not permitted, as set out in the plan). In addition, plans typically include guiding direction for permitted land uses. In order to ensure that all parties are aware of land use direction, approved plans are posted on the Government of Ontario website and added to the online Crown Land Use Policy Atlas.

As of January 2021, five First Nation communities have worked with Ontario and completed CBLUPs (Pikangikum, Cat Lake, Slate Falls, Pauingassi, Little Grand Rapids). These plans were approved by the First Nation and the Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry under the Far North Act, 2010. The currently approved plans have planning areas ranging in size from approximately 1,400 square kilometres to 14,500 square kilometres and designate from 34% to 100% of their planning areas to DPAs.

Nine other First Nation communities have completed their Terms of Reference including Marten Falls, Eabametoong and Mishkeegogamang, Webequie, Wawakapewin, McDowell Lake, Constance Lake, Kashechewan and Weenusk. A Terms of Reference is an agreement between First Nations and the Government of Ontario which sets the objectives and process for developing a CBLUP.

Ontario remains committed to working with communities through the community based land use planning process to identify and protect areas of cultural and ecological value, while maintaining opportunities for sustainable economic development that benefits First Nations.

Best management practices for fur trapping

Collaborative efforts have been undertaken across multiple years between trappers, the Ontario Fur Managers Federation (OFMF), the NDMNRF, and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada with funding support through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program (SARSP) to research and promote best management practices for fur trapping that minimize harm to Wolverine. Through these efforts the Best Management Practices to Avoid Wolverine document was developed and is currently hosted on the OFMF website. This document is promoted as an educational tool for trappers which provides an overview of biology, behavior, habitat, range, and status of Wolverine. It advises what to do if a live Wolverine is encountered in a trap and how to avoid damage to traps and trapping locations (e.g. for Marten); it describes best practices to avoid accidentally capturing Wolverine, including advice on type of bait, placement of bait, and types of trap sets and trapping devices.

In addition, Ontario’s trapper education manual includes a comprehensive section on avoiding capture of Wolverine. This manual is required to be used by trappers that participate in the Fur Harvest, Fur Management and Conservation Course, a 40-hour mandatory training course that is taken by individuals before they can be issued an Ontario trapping license. Relevant components of this education manual include information on recognizing the presence of Wolverine in a trapping area, selecting traps to minimize incidental capture, and how to report observations of the species.

Occurrences and distribution

Wolverine is widely distributed across northern Ontario. Given the species’ broad distribution and the high volume of records submitted, the species’ occurrence information has been assessed at a landscape scale using 10 by 10 kilometre grid “squares” to approximate the species’ distribution. The squares were used to estimate where the species has been recently observed (i.e., has been observed within the past 20 years) as well as squares where the species is considered historical ^{footnote 1[1]} .

Using this approach, the species has been recently observed in 1,179 squares, and there remain 22 additional squares that contain historical observations of the species. This equates to a potential range ^{footnote 2[2]} of approximately 117,900 square kilometres based on recent observations of the species, and an additional 2,200 square kilometres based on historical observations.

The NHIC has received over 6,900 records of Wolverine, with over 6,700 of these observations occurring since the species was first listed in 2004. The records are based on observations between 1954 and 2020, with a significant majority of observations resulting from deliberate surveys for the species. Based on records since 2008, the species has been observed in locations associated with 904 squares in which it was not previously known to occur, and the species’ presence has been re-confirmed in 145 additional squares.

This enlargement of the species’ estimated distribution may be, in part, the result of increased search effort and represent increased knowledge on the distribution of the species in locations where it previously occurred. However, recent monitoring and research efforts indicate that the species has been expanding eastward into peripheral areas and reclaiming portions of it’s range from the 1950s (Ontario Wolverine Recovery Team 2013). Consequently, many of the recent occurrences in squares where the species has not been previously documented may represent a range expansion, particularly along the eastern periphery of the species’ range.

The GRS includes encouraging the submission of observations of this species as a government-led action. Submission of species observations increases our knowledge of where they occur and can play an important role in assessing the viability of species’ populations. Individuals are encouraged, or may be required by an authorization or approval, to submit observations of Wolverine, and any other species at risk, to the NHIC for incorporation into the provincial record of observations. Observations may now be submitted to NHIC via the Rare Species of Ontario project in iNaturalist.

• 6,700
  observations of this species were submitted to the NHIC since 2004

Government-supported stewardship projects

An important government-led action in the GRS for Wolverine is to support partners to undertake activities to protect and recover the species. Through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program the government has supported 17 projects ($1,001,751) designed to contribute to the protection and recovery of Wolverine. Six of these projects ($453,460) focused exclusively on the species, while the other 11 projects ($555,101) focused on multiple species at risk, including Wolverine. In addition to the government funding, partners focusing exclusively on Wolverine reported they were successful in securing additional funding ($732,087) from other sources, as did partners with projects designed to benefit multiple species at risk, including Wolverine ($337,428). These amounts include in-kind support in the form of time and expertise provided by volunteers.

Stewardship partners reported that provincial funding helped them to secure in-kind support by involving 97 individuals who volunteered 2,122 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities that focused exclusively on Wolverine, which has an estimated value of $47,087. As well, 152 individuals volunteered 2,808 hours of their time towards protection and recovery activities for multiple species at risk, including Wolverine, which has an estimated value of $148,847. In addition, stewardship partners reported providing focused outreach on Wolverine to 15,449 individuals and outreach for multiple species at risk, including Wolverine, to 10,892 individuals.

The government also supports proponents in conducting research that addresses important knowledge gaps for species at risk. Through the Species at Risk Research Fund for Ontario, the government provided funding to six projects ($75,300) to conduct research on collecting genetic information on Wolverine populations, developing monitoring protocols for this species, and improving understanding of the species’ distribution. Work supported through the Species at Risk Research Fund has led to the publication of peer-reviewed research articles, including:

• Ray, J.C., L.G. Poley, A.J. Magoun, C.B. Chetkiewicz, M. Southee, N. Dawson, and C. Chenier. 2018. Modelling broad-scale wolverine occupancy in a remote Boreal region using multi-year aerial survey data. Journal of Biogeography 45: 1478-1489.

The remainder of this section highlights two projects supported through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program as well as the corresponding government-supported recovery actions for the species.

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada wolverine monitoring project

In 2018, WCS Canada researcher Dr. Matthew Scrafford began studying wolverine in the Red Lake area of northwestern Ontario, funded in part by the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) Species at Risk Stewardship Program. The project was funded for three years with the final year of work now completed. To complete this project, WCS engaged and worked with multiple partners, including local trappers, and obtained additional funding from a number of outside partners, including the W. Garfield Weston Foundation, Domtar and Evolution Mining.

Between 2018 to 2020, approximately 40 Wolverines were trapped or sampled by passive means (hair samples and camera traps) throughout the study area (6,500 square kilometres). Additionally, a total of 28 Wolverines were fitted with GPS tracking collars to understand habitat use and den site selection. Four Wolverine dens sites were located, and this information is being used to inform den site management plans being developed by NDMNRF, Domtar (Trout Lake Forest) and Red Lake Forest Management Company Ltd. (Red Lake Forest) with valuable input from WCS Canada for forest management planning purposes. Results from the GPS tracking collars showed that home range sizes (up to 4,700 square kilometres) of the collared Wolverine were up to 15 times larger than what was suggested by past studies (300 square kilometres) and that Wolverine appear to occupy the Red Lake area at a low density (3-5 Wolverine per 1,000 square kilometres). Study results also confirmed that the Wolverine population in Red Lake is reproductive.

The final year of this project focused on tracking female Wolverines, targeted live-trapping in areas where new females are suspected, and continued to use road-based camera traps to further investigate habitat needs and den site selection. Work was also carried out to improve habitat models to consider the use of roads by wolves and associated relationships to Wolverine habitat use.

This project demonstrates progress towards multiple high priority actions, such as conducting inventory and monitoring efforts for Wolverine, and carrying out research on the species’ habitat needs and usage. Data collected from this project may also contribute towards future progress on actions such as developing landscape-level models for Wolverine in Ontario.

Field verification of Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Over two subsequent years, Bamaji Air Inc. undertook a project on behalf of Cat Lake First Nation and Slate Falls First Nation to collect and field-verify Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) regarding selected species at risk on their lands. The project was intended to fill important knowledge gaps in relation to the collection of, awareness about, and incorporation of TEK for Wolverine and other species at risk within the Cat Lake and Slate Falls First Nation Land Use Planning Area.

Public events were held to engage the community in the project and identify community members willing to participate in interviews aimed at identifying locations likely to contain Wolverine habitat, with a particular focus on den sites. Utilizing the information collected in the interviews, locations were selected for the installation of field camera stations to collect photos of any Wolverines that visit the station. During this stage of the project NDMNRF staff visited the site to provide advice and appropriate methodologies for installing and positioning the cameras for data collection. The stations were intended for use beyond the length of the funded project to continue collecting data on the presence of Wolverine on the First Nations Lands.

This project demonstrates progress towards multiple actions for this species, including conducting inventory and monitoring of Wolverine, encouraging the recording, sharing, and transfer of Traditional Ecological Knowledge on Wolverine, coordinating efforts to share information between indigenous communities and organizations, and working jointly with First Nation communities through community based land use planning.

Species at Risk Stewardship Program

• 
  17

  projects included Wolverine

• 
  6

  project for Wolverine exclusively

• 
  $555,101

  for multi-species projects that included Wolverine

• 
  $453,460

  for Wolverine exclusively

• 
  $1,069,515

  in additional funding and in-kind support

• 
  249

  volunteers

• 
  4,930

  volunteer hours

• 
  15,449

  people received outreach

Supporting human activities while ensuring appropriate support for species recovery

Supporting partners through authorizations and their associated conditions is an important government-led action.

Seven permits have been issued for Wolverine since the species has been protected under the ESA. Six of these permits were ‘possession or transport for scientific or educational purposes’ (9(5)(a)) permits, and one was a ‘social or economic benefit’ (17(2)(d)) permit.

Permits issued for ‘possession or transport for scientific or educational purposes’ allow for proponents to be in possession of a species at risk for approved reasons. Each of the permits issued were to allow for the transfer of Wolverine caught incidentally to be used for educational purposes by schools and fur manager groups.

‘Social and economic benefit permits’ authorize a proponent to carry out an activity that would otherwise contravene the ESA, as long as all conditions of the permit are satisfied. Before issuing this type of permit, the Minister must seek advice from a person who is an expert on the effects the activity may have on the species. To issue the permit the Minister must be of the opinion that the activity will not jeopardize the survival or recovery of the species in Ontario, that reasonable alternatives have been considered, and that reasonable steps to minimize adverse effects on the individual members of the species are required by the conditions of the permit.

In 2019, the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks issued a ‘social and economic benefit permit’ (i.e., section 17(2)(d) permit) under the ESA to Wataynikaneyap Power for multiple species at risk, including Wolverine. The permit was issued for the construction of an electricity transmission line in the Far North which would connect communities in this area to the provincial power grid and reduce reliance on local diesel power generation.

Conditions of this permit include, but are not limited to:

• ensuring suitable training in handling and working with species at risk where required
• limiting access provided to habitat areas via the transmission line and required access roads
• monitoring the project footprint within site during construction
• retaining vegetation in access routes
• restoration of habitat areas and access routes
• limiting activity timing to periods with the least impact on species at risk
• implementing a noise management plan
• posting signage of species presence and speed limits
• avoiding den sites for species at risk, including Wolverine
• completing all required monitoring and reporting

Until work on the project is completed, all of the noted conditions must be adhered to in order to minimize impacts to species at risk and their habitat. Additional beneficial actions being undertaken as part of this project include:

• public education surrounding the project and steps taken to minimize impacts
• Indigenous consultation on project design and implementation
• implementation of a restoration plan
• completing a research project intended to improve methods for minimizing Wolverine bycatch in traplines

Twenty-two activities that may affect Wolverine or its habitat have been registered for the purposes of Ontario Regulation 242/08 under the ESA. Eight activities were registered under ‘Early exploration mining’ (section 23.10), two under ‘Newly listed and transition species’ (section 23.13), three under ‘Species protection or recovery activities (Section 23.17), five under ‘Threats to human health or safety’ (section 23.18), and four under ‘notice of incidental trapping’ (section 23.19). These registrations require the registrant to comply with all conditions of the regulation, such as:

• ensuring that reasonable steps are taken to minimize adverse effects of the activity on the species identified in the notice of activity form
• preparing a mitigation plan using best available information on steps that may help minimize or avoid adverse effects on the species
• submitting observations of the species to the NHIC using the Ontario Species at Risk Observation Reporting Form

• 6
  possession or transport for scientific purposes permits
• 1
  social or economic benefit permit
• 22
  registrations

Progress towards implementing government-supported actions

Government-supported and government-led actions are organized under overarching recovery objectives. Progress has been made towards achieving all identified recovery objectives and implementing a majority of the associated actions identified in the GRS for Wolverine.

Under this objective, progress has been made towards implementing Actions 1 and 2 through the efforts of the WCS Canada Wolverine monitoring project, and through an assortment of other Species at Risk Stewardship Program (SARSP) projects. These projects have contributed valuable information on Wolverine in Ontario through population inventories, the collection of genetic data, and the documentation of habitat areas in which this species is found.

Progress towards Actions 3 and 5 have been made through SARSP projects aimed at collecting and sharing Traditional Ecological Knowledge on Wolverine and through the development of Community Based Land Use Plans (CBLUPs) drafted in partnership with First Nation communities. Information collected through these projects and used to develop land use plans is shared as needed with partner agencies and other jurisdictions to improve overall benefit to the species.

Initial progress has been made towards Action No. 4 through the collection of data to be used in the development of landscape-level models by projects supported by SARSP. Multiple projects have focused on the collection of data that may be used to model and predict species distribution.

Progress continues to be made towards Actions 5 and 6 through the species data management and sharing efforts supported by the Ontario government under the ESA.

Under this objective, progress towards Action No. 8 has been made through the continued application of the Forest Management Guide for Conserving Biodiversity at the Stand and Site Scales including the key sections related to Wolverine habitat. This document remains a key resource for forest managers in the province and to date no updates have been required to the components focusing on Wolverine.

Progress has been made towards Action No. 9 through provincial efforts to mitigate climate change and the continued work to develop and adapt Ontario’s approach to managing this issue. Ontario has documented decreased greenhouse gas emissions since 2005 and has implemented a plan to address climate change and protect our air, land and water, which contains key actions to help continue this trend.

Considerable progress has been made towards Action No. 10 through the initiation and development of Community Based Land Use Plans with First Nation communities in Ontario. Completed plans to date include components on Wolverine habitat, and work is underway to build upon these successes in the development of new plans with additional Far North communities.

Progress continues to be made towards Actions 11 and 12 through the permissions, education, and monitoring efforts implemented and supported by the Ontario government under the ESA.

Under this objective, considerable progress has been made towards implementing Action No. 13 through the efforts of the OFMF, NDMNRF, and WCS Canada to research and promote best management practices for fur trapping that minimize harm to Wolverine. These efforts have also supported the inclusion of materials in the Ontario’s trapper education manual that focus on minimizing harm to Wolverine.

Progress towards Action No. 14 has been made through multiple SARSP projects focused on sharing information about Wolverine to an assortment of audiences. Projects have included the creation of multimedia educational resources, development of curriculum components, and the creation of species at risk publications for local residents in areas with Wolverine presence.

Summary of progress towards meeting the recovery goal

The recovery goal for Wolverine is to maintain the current distribution of Wolverine in Ontario and support natural increases in the population abundance and distribution. Efforts made towards the government-led and government-supported actions have resulted in progress towards this goal. For example, efforts undertaken by stakeholder groups with provincial support to minimize incidental capture of Wolverine in traplines has included both research efforts to better understand the problem, and the publication of resulting best management practices to help protect Wolverine. Additionally, ongoing monitoring and research efforts have produced valuable information as to the abundance and distribution of Wolverine populations across the province, which allows for better tracking of the species status and recognition of areas that may need stronger support to enable natural population increases.

The provincial record of observation demonstrates a wide distribution of Wolverine across the areas of suitable habitat in the province. Increased efforts to monitor and document occurrences of this species since it was listed in 2004 have resulted in observations in many new locations. These data suggest continued persistence in most previously known locations, as well as a potential expansion of the species’ core range along its eastern periphery. An ongoing, natural increase in the species range is consistent with the recovery goal for this species and suggests positive progress towards recovery of this species in Ontario.

Recommendations

As stated in the GRS, this review of progress can be used to help identify whether adjustments to the implementation of GRS actions are needed, to achieve the protection and recovery of the species. Based on progress to date, the overall direction provided in the GRS for Wolverine, particularly the implementation of actions identified as high priority, should continue to guide protection and recovery of the species.

Relative to actions that have received a stronger level of support, the following actions have received less attention and are identified for consideration in future work towards the protection and recovery of the species:

• Action No. 1 (High Priority) – Conduct inventory and monitoring of Wolverine, including incorporating monitoring of Wolverine into ongoing, broadscale inventory and monitoring programs (e.g., moose aerial inventory surveys) and boreal species at risk initiatives.
• Action No. 4 – Develop, test and update landscape-level models for Wolverine in Ontario to better understand and predict future species' movement and distribution changes.
• Action No. 7 (High Priority) – Develop, implement, and update, as needed, best management practices to reduce the effects of development activities, such as mining, infrastructure, and energy development on and around Wolverine dens.
• Action No. 10 – Work jointly with First Nations communities in the Far North through community-based land use planning to consider wildlife, including Wolverine, and identify community and broad-scale interests that reflect the complex nature of the ecology, culture and economics of the Far North

Protecting and recovering Wolverine will continue to be a shared responsibility that will require the involvement of many individuals, organizations and communities. Financial support for the implementation of actions may be available through the Species at Risk Stewardship Program. The government can also advise if any authorizations under the ESA or other legislation may be required to undertake a project. By working together, progress can continue to be made towards protecting and recovering Wolverine in Ontario.