Minimizing Adverse Effects on Species at Risk

What does "minimize adverse effects" mean?

To meet the legal requirements for an overall benefit permit, you will have to take reasonable steps to minimize the adverse effects of your activity on the species at risk and their habitat that are likely to be affected by your activity.

Ways to minimize the adverse effects of your activity on species at risk and their habitat may include modifying the:

• location of the activity
• geographic scale of the potential effects
• activity design (e.g. engineering and technological)
• timing of the activity
• duration and frequency of the effects
• approaches and timing for any site restoration or rehabilitation (such as doing progressive rehabilitation while other parts of the activity are still happening)
• general operational protocols

When completing your overall benefit permit application, you will have the opportunity to explain to MNR the steps you plan to take to minimize the adverse effects of your activity on species at risk and their habitat.

What kinds of steps can be taken to minimize adverse effects on species at risk?

• Installing effective sediment and erosion control during construction to ensure that water quality in at-risk fish habitat is protected
• Installing a special fence to keep at-risk turtles from laying eggs, or getting killed by machinery, in a sand/gravel pit
• Rehabilitating or restoring the habitat of an at-risk bird after temporarily destroying it along a hydro corridor to replace the existing power line with a new, higher capacity power line
• Harvesting trees, as part of a forestry operation, from at-risk turtle habitat when the turtle is hibernating, so individual turtles are unharmed during the process