NWT Species at Risk

The NWT Species Conservation and Recovery Fund provides funding for projects that support the long-term conservation, recovery and protection of species that are at risk in the NWT.

Applications for funding for 2026-2027 projects (beginning April 1, 2026) are being accepted from January 15 to March 1, 2026.

Please submit your completed application form if you have an idea for a project that:

• Addresses threats to species, habitats, landscapes, or ecosystems
• Fills knowledge gaps related to species, habitats, or threats
• Contributes to outreach, education, and awareness about species

Apply now! The application package is available here (also available in French).

For more information, please see the NWT Species Conservation and Recovery Fund web page or read the brochure.

The public is invited to comment on a proposed Recovery Strategy for Dolphin and Union Caribou in the NWT. 

• Fact sheet on the proposed recovery strategy

Dolphin and Union caribou are considered a species at risk in the Northwest Territories. They were listed as an Endangered species in 2024 under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act.

Under the Act, a recovery strategy must be developed for an Endangered species. The strategy will provide guidance on the long-term conservation and recovery of Dolphin and Union caribou in the NWT.

Comments on the recovery strategy for Dolphin and Union caribou can be submitted to the Conference of Management Authorities until February 15, 2026.

Complete a survey or send your comments directly to the Wildlife Management Advisory Committee (NWT) or the Species at Risk Secretariat.

• Public engagement survey

Photo: Xavier Fernandez Aguilar

Contact

Species at Risk Secretariat

PO Box 1320

Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9

Phone (toll-free): 1 (855) 783-4301

Fax: 1 (867) 873-0293

Email: SARA@gov.nt.ca

Our approach to recovery

The proposed NWT recovery strategy adopts the Management Plan for the Dolphin and Union Caribou in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, published in 2018. This includes the goal, objectives and approaches set out in the current joint management plan.

The proposed recovery strategy also includes an NWT addition which points to updated information on Dolphin and Union caribou from Indigenous, community and scientific sources that have become available in the years since the management plan was released.

This approach ensures up-to-date guidance is in place for the recovery of the species while preserving the collaborative and coordinated nature of our NWT-Nunavut approach to Dolphin and Union caribou conservation and management—in particular, the shared goal, objectives and approaches. 

About the proposed recovery strategy

The NWT recovery strategy has two parts:

• The existing Management Plan for Dolphin and Union Caribou in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, which includes shared goals and objectives for the conservation and recovery of Dolphin and Union caribou, approaches to achieve those objectives, and threats and positive influences to the species and its habitat across its range; and
• An addition from the Northwest Territories, which points to updated information for Dolphin and Union caribou in the NWT:
  • NWT Status Report and Reassessment (2023)
  • NWT Progress Report (2023)
  • Addendum to the COSEWIC status report (2024) prepared by co-management partners in NWT and Nunavut, which provides information that more fully reflects existing Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, traditional knowledge, and local knowledge on Dolphin and Union caribou

The management plan was developed collaboratively by Inuvialuit and Inuit organizations and the governments of NWT, Nunavut and Canada, giving equal consideration to Indigenous and community knowledge, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, and science. The plan was approved/adopted by the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, Government of Nunavut, Government of the Northwest Territories and the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (NWT). The Government of Canada also adopted it as the national management plan for Dolphin and Union caribou in Canada.

The NWT addition was developed collaboratively by the Conference of Management Authorities (CMA)—the wildlife co-management boards and governments that share responsibility for Dolphin and Union caribou in the NWT. All CMA decisions are made by consensus.

Members of the CMA for Dolphin and Union caribou are: Wildlife Management Advisory Council (NWT) and Government of the Northwest Territories. 

Links

• Dolphin and Union caribou recovery strategy fact sheet
• Proposed Recovery Strategy for Dolphin and Union Caribou in the NWT
• Dolphin and Union Caribou Status Report and Reassessment (2023)
• Dolphin and Union Caribou Progress Report (2023)

Caves and crevices provide shelter for sensitive species like bats and snakes — even a short visit can have unintended consequences.

Learn how to keep bats safe from harm and provide healthy roosting and feeding habitats: www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/bat_health.php

Check out our new poster to learn more:

Want to know what we've been up to over the last year?

Our annual reports for 2024-25 are now available.

• Conference of Management Authorities - Annual Report 2024-25
• Conférence des Autorités de Gestion - Rapport Annuel 2024-25
• Species at Risk Committee - Annual Report 2024-25
• Comité sur les Espèces en Péril - Rapport Annuel 2024-25

Check out the Resources section of our website to learn more.

This engagement opportunity is now closed. Thank you for your comments! 

Decisions on up-listing northern leopard frog and re-listing western toad are expected by August 2026.

Photos: (Left) Northern leopard frog, Kris Kendell; (Right) Western toad, Yannick Letailleur

Listing proposals

Northern leopard frog is being considered for up-listing to Endangered on the NWT List of Species at Risk. It is currently listed as a Threatened species but was reassessed as Endangered in April 2025. Endangered means the species could disappear from the NWT in the near future.

Western toad is being considered for re-listing as Threatened on the NWT List of Species at Risk. This species is currently listed as Threatened and was reassessed in April 2025 with no change in status. Threatened means it could become Endangered if nothing is done to reverse the factors putting it at risk.

• Fact sheets:
  • Northern leopard frog (English) (French)
  • Western toad (English) (French)

Please consider the following questions when providing comments:

Northern leopard frog

• Should northern leopard frog be up-listed to Endangered on the NWT List of Species at Risk? Why or why not?
• Northern leopard frog has been listed as a Threatened species in the NWT since 2015. A management plan for amphibians was completed in 2017. How has the listing affected you or your community? Would the up-listing have positive or negative impacts? What would they be?
• Is there new or missing information that was not considered in the status reports for this species? If so, can you provide it to us or tell us where to find it?

Western toad

• Should western toad continue to be listed as Threatened on the NWT List of Species at Risk? Why or why not?
• Western toad has been listed as a Threatened species in the NWT since 2016. A management plan for amphibians was completed in 2017. How has the listing affected you or your community? Would extending the listing for this species for another 10 years have positive or negative impacts? What would they be?
• Is there new or missing information that was not considered in the status reports for this species? If so, can you provide it to us or tell us where to find it?

Have your say!

Comments on the assessments and potential listing of northern leopard frog and western toad can be submitted by completing a survey (English and French links below) or by sending your comments to the Species at Risk Secretariat (address below).

• Engagement Survey – Northern Leopard Frog (English) (French)
• Engagement Survey – Western Toad (English) (French)

Species at Risk Secretariat

PO Box 1320

Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9

Phone (toll-free): 1-855-783-4301

Fax: 1-867-873-0221

Email: SARA@gov.nt.ca

Next steps

The Conference of Management Authorities will meet in December 2025 and February 2026 to consider all comments received and decide on the listings. A summary of the information used by each Management Authority to make its decision will be found in the consensus agreement on listing for each species.

Listing decisions for northern leopard frog and western toad are expected by August 2026.

Links

NORTHERN LEOPARD FROG

• About northern leopard frog
• Survey – Northern leopard frog listing (English)
• Survey – Northern leopard frog (French)
• Status Report and Assessment for Canadian Toad, Western Toad and Northern Leopard Frog in the NWT (2025)
• Réévaluation du crapaud de l'ouest et de la grenouille léopard aux Territoires du Nord-Ouest (2025)
• Management Plan for Amphibians in the Northwest Territories (2017)

WESTERN TOAD

• About western toad
• Survey – Western toad listing (English)
• Survey – Western toad listing (French)
• Status Report and Assessment for Canadian Toad, Western Toad and Northern Leopard Frog in the NWT (2025)
• Réévaluation du crapaud de l'ouest et de la grenouille léopard aux Territoires du Nord-Ouest (2025)
• Management Plan for Amphibians in the Northwest Territories (2017)

The Conference of Management Authorities (CMA), established under the Species at Risk (NWT) Act to manage and recover species at risk in the Northwest Territories (NWT), has reached consensus on two species proposed for the NWT List of Species at Risk: hairy braya and red-sided garter snake.

Rare plant to remain on the NWT List of Species at Risk

Hairy braya, the only plant on the Northwest Territories (NWT) List of Species at Risk, will remain on the list for another ten years.

Hairy braya is a rare flowering plant found only in a remote part of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region. It has been listed as Threatened in the NWT since 2014.

Last year, the NWT Species at Risk Committee recommended the species remain listed as Threatened—mainly because it is so rare and its coastal habitat is quickly eroding. On August 2, hairy braya’s Threatened status on the NWT List of Species at Risk will be officially extended to 2036.

Red-sided garter snake not listed

A second species assessed by the NWT Species at Risk Committee has not been listed.

Red-sided garter snake was assessed in 2024 as a species of Special Concern in the NWT, which means it could become Threatened or Endangered due to a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats. The snakes hibernate in specific, small areas—therefore, a single threatening event could negatively impact many of the NWT’s snakes at once.

Although red-sided garter snakes in the NWT are at the northern limit of their range in North America, they are part of a much larger population that extends across central Canada and the United States. The CMA believes there are enough snakes in neighbouring provinces to repopulate the NWT in the event of a population decline. There are already measures in place to protect many of the places snakes hibernate in the NWT.

While the CMA recognizes red-sided garter snakes are an important part of the NWT’s biodiversity and a valued species for many NWT residents, adding red-sided garter snake to the NWT List of Species at Risk would not add significant conservation benefit to the species at this time. The CMA supports the ongoing work to conserve red-sided garter snake and their habitat in the NWT, including current research on the impacts of recent wildfires.

Additional species information and supporting documents, including the status reports, assessments and consensus agreements, are available at www.nwtspeciesatrisk.ca.

For more information contact:

Jody Pellissey, Chairperson

Conference of Management Authorities

Phone: (867) 767-9237 ext. 53215

Email: SARA@gov.nt.ca

Quick facts:

• The Conference of Management Authorities (CMA) is the group of wildlife co-management boards and governments that share management responsibility for the conservation and recovery of species at risk in the NWT. All CMA decisions are made by consensus of the Management Authorities.

Hairy braya

• Hairy braya (Braya pilosa) is a small perennial plant in the mustard family that grows only on Cape Bathurst peninsula and Baillie Island, NWT.
• The plants are known to grow in 17 locations. Threats include rapid erosion of coastline habitat and sea level increase.
• The management authorities for hairy braya are the Wildlife Management Advisory Council (NWT) and the Government of the Northwest Territories.
• The listing will not change rules for harvesting, land use or activities allowed in hairy braya habitat.
• A recovery strategy for hairy braya in the NWT was completed in 2015. The CMA released a progress report on actions taken under the strategy in 2021. Management partners will continue to implement the recovery strategy under the extended listing.
• Under the federal Species at Risk Act, hairy braya is currently listed as Endangered in Canada.

Red-sided garter snake

• Red-sided garter snakes occur largely in the southern NWT near Fort Smith. They are a subspecies of the common garter snake, and are found across western Canada and the northern U.S.
• Road mortality is a threat to this species, especially when snakes are emerging from hibernation in the spring. They can travel great distances, often crossing roads, including Highway 5 near Fort Smith.
• In recent years, severe wildfire and drought have impacted the habitat of red-sided garter snakes.
• The red-sided garter snake has not been assessed by the federal Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and is not listed under the federal Species at Risk Act.
• The management authority for red-sided garter snake in the NWT is the Government of the Northwest Territories.

Links

• Status Report and Reassessment of Hairy Braya in the NWT / French Summary (2024)
• Status Report and Assessment of Red-sided Garter Snake in the NWT / French Summary (2024)
• Recovery Strategy for Hairy Braya in the NWT (2015)
• Progress Report on the Recovery of Hairy Braya in the NWT (2021)
• Consensus Agreement on Not Listing Red-sided Garter Snake (2025) with reasons for the inconsistency with SARC’s assessment

The NWT Species at Risk Committee (SARC) has released the draft Species Status Report for Wood Bison (Bison bison athabascae) in the NWT for review. The species status report is a comprehensive report that compiles and analyzes the best available Indigenous, community, and scientific information on the biological status of wood bison in the NWT, as well as existing and potential threats and positive influences. The report was prepared in advance of the scheduled 2026 assessment of wood bison in the NWT.

• Fact sheet on the wood bison status report and assessment

The complete draft status report is available here. If you are interested in reviewing the report and submitting comments, please use the following questions to guide your review:

• Has the report fully investigated the best available sources of information?
• Is the information from those sources portrayed accurately?

Comments on the draft report must be submitted to the Species at Risk Secretariat by no later than January 9, 2026.

Comments can be submitted via email (SARA@gov.nt.ca), fax (867-873-0221), or via standard mail at the address below:

Species at Risk Secretariat
SC6, c/o Environment and Climate Change
Government of the Northwest Territories
PO Box 1320
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9

Please note that the report is a draft and is not to be cited without permission of the Species at Risk Committee Chairperson. If you have any questions about reviewing draft status reports, or if you require the report in a different format, please contact the Species at Risk Secretariat.

The NWT Species at Risk Committee (SARC) has released the draft Species Status Report for Common Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in the NWT for review. The species status report is a comprehensive report that compiles and analyzes the best available Indigenous, community, and scientific information on the biological status of muskrat in the NWT, as well as existing and potential threats and positive influences. The report was prepared in advance of the scheduled 2026 assessment of muskrat in the NWT.

• Fact sheet on the common muskrat status report and assessment

The complete draft status report is available here. If you are interested in reviewing the report and submitting comments, please use the following questions to guide your review:

• Has the report fully investigated the best available sources of information?
• Is the information from those sources portrayed accurately?

Comments on the draft report must be submitted to the Species at Risk Secretariat by no later than January 9, 2026.

Comments can be submitted via email (SARA@gov.nt.ca), fax (867-873-0221), or via standard mail at the address below:

Species at Risk Secretariat
SC6, c/o Environment and Climate Change
Government of the Northwest Territories
PO Box 1320
Yellowknife, NT X1A 2L9

Please note that the report is a draft and is not to be cited without permission of the Species at Risk Committee Chairperson. If you have any questions about reviewing draft status reports, or if you require the report in a different format, please contact the Species at Risk Secretariat.