How are species at risk legally protected in BC?
British Columbia has no stand-alone endangered species act. The provincial Wildlife Act protects virtually all vertebrate animals from direct harm, except as allowed by regulation (e.g., hunting or trapping). Legal designation as Endangered or Threatened under the Act increases the penalties for harming a species, and also enables the protection of habitat in a Critical Wildlife Management Area. At present, four species are legally designated: the Vancouver Island Marmot (Marmota vancouverensis), American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchus), and Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) as Endangered, and the Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) as Threatened. When the Wildlife Amendment Act is brought into force, invertebrates and plants will also be eligible for listing, and residences of listed species may be protected. Species on the Red and Blue Lists affected by forest and range practices are also eligible for listing as a Category of Species at Risk in the Forest and Range Practices Act (F
