The Species at Risk (SAR) Program is responsible for carrying out DFO’s mandate under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) to protect, recover and conserve all listed aquatic SAR in Canada. Critical habitat is identified for species listed as Endangered or Threatened under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). This mapping tool is for general guidance only. “Mapped” representations of waterbodies and watercourses are based on authoritative provincial geospatial products, guidance and standards. Due to the nature of dynamic systems and the resolution/accuracy of these data sets, areas within which critical habitat is found as displayed on the mapping tool may not align exactly with natural watercourses. If discrepancies occur, refer to the relevant species recovery strategy and/or action plan for additional information on critical habitat. If additional guidance is required, please contact the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pnw-ppe/contact-eng.html Critical habitat is defined under section 2 of SARA as: "the habitat that is necessary for the survival or recovery of a listed wildlife species and that is identified as the species' critical habitat in the recovery strategy or in an action plan for the species". Section 49(1)(a) of SARA requires that a species' Recovery Strategy/Action Plan include an identification of the species' critical habitat to the extent possible, based on the best available information, including information provided by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). SARA makes it illegal to destroy any part of the critical habitat of SAR and may impose restrictions on development and construction. Critical habitats were assembled by SARA regional biologists and recovery teams. They are designed to support the protection and recovery of species listed as Endangered or Threatened under the Species at Risk Act. They are also described and displayed in species' Recovery Documents and Action Plans.

Parks Canada’s National Program for Ecological Corridors was initiated to strengthen the network of protected areas across Canada through the creation of ecological corridors. To achieve this goal, Parks Canada sought out to develop tools for a common approach on the scientific and governance aspects of corridor creation and management. The National Priority Areas for Ecological Corridors (NPAECs) were developed using a scientific framework for national-scale prioritization of where ecological corridors are most urgently needed. Improving or maintaining ecological connectivity in these areas will greatly benefit biodiversity conservation and climate change adaptation. The NPAECs were identified based on a methodology that is multivariate, data driven, national in scale, and spatially explicit at a coarse resolution. The Criteria for Ecological Corridors in Canada provide a common approach to ensure ecological corridors are managed and stewarded to maintain or restore effective ecological connectivity, while upholding Indigenous stewardship values. They are derived from the internationally recognized International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Guidelines on Connectivity and adapted to the Canadian context. The NPAECs geographic data layer, the list of datasets used to identify them, the Criteria and their accompanying guidance can be found below. More details and context about both program elements are available on the Program’s webpage (https://parks.canada.ca/nature/science/conservation/corridors-ecologiques-ecological-corridors).

Polygons denoting concentrations of sea pens, small and large gorgonian corals and sponges on the east coast of Canada have been identified through spatial analysis of research vessel survey by-catch data following an approach used by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) in the Regulatory Area (NRA) on Flemish Cap and southeast Grand Banks. Kernel density analysis was used to identify high concentrations and the area occupied by successive catch weight thresholds was used to identify aggregations. These analyses were performed for each of the five biogeographic zones of eastern Canada. The largest sea pen fields were found in the Laurentian Channel as it cuts through the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while large gorgonian coral forests were found in the Eastern Arctic and on the northern Labrador continental slope. Large ball-shaped Geodia spp. sponges were located along the continental slopes north of the Grand Banks, while on the Scotian Shelf a unique population of the large barrel-shaped sponge Vazella pourtalesi was identified. The latitude and longitude marking the positions of all tows which form these and other dense aggregations are provided along with the positions of all tows which captured black coral, a non-aggregating taxon which is long-lived and vulnerable to fishing pressures. These polygons identify sponge grounds from the broader distribution of sponges in the region as sampled by Campelen gear in the Eastern Arctic biogeographic zone. A 40 kg minimum threshold for the sponge catch was identified as the weight that separated the sponge ground habitat from the broader distribution of sponges with these research vessel tow data and gear type.

The North America Surface Water Values point dataset contains the current water level and stream flow values as recorded by Canadian and USA hydrometric gauging station locations. Daily values are recorded as well as comparisons with historical measurements, including difference in values from the previous day, the mean level for that calendar date, the annual mean water level, and maximum and minumum recorded levels. Percentile values based on historical average for both water level and stream flow are also included. Real-time gauging station data for Canada is available here: https://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/search/statistics_e.html Real-time gauging station data for the United States is available here: https://waterservices.usgs.gov/rest/Statistics-Service.html

Manitoba's forest boundaries datasets in 2021. This data is used within Manitoba's Five Year Report on the Status of Forestry, 2016 - 2021 story map. Manitoba's forest boundaries datasets in 2021. This data is used within Manitoba's Five Year Report on the Status of Forestry, 2016 - 2021 story map.  The forest boundaries included represent forest sections, forest management units, provincial forests and forest management license areas.

Tile layer of private, managed forest code 50 used in the Story Map of Forest Management in Canada, 2017. Tile layer of private, managed forest code 50 used in the Story Map of Forest Management in Canada, 2017. Private lands were identified using provincial and territorial land ownership datasets. Detailed ownership datasets were not available in all jurisdictions, so proxies were used where necessary. In Saskatchewan, lands south of the province's Commercial Forest Zone were classified as Private. This includes some Crown lands, but these are generally small and not included in forest management plans or leased for commercial forestry purposes. Data provided by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry; British Columbia Ministry of Forests; Manitoba Sustainable Development; Natural Resources Canada; New Brunswick Department of Energy and Resource Development; Newfoundland & Labrador Department of Fisheries and Land Resources; Northwest Territories Department of Environment and Natural Resources; Nova Scotia Department of Lands and Forestry; Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry; Prince Edward Island Department of Communities, Land & Environment; Québec Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs; Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment; and Yukon Energy, Mines and Resources.