Please do not do this, I'm…

Please do not do this, I'm not an environmentalist, I'm in the construction industry, I know this process does not create much of a barrier overall, and it is also for something that is objectively valuable (endangered species). This proposal will lead to significant job losses in what are fairly good paying fields, and not result in any significant barriers being removed for developers.

Please consult with the entire industry, not just developers. This will devastate our economy all across southern Ontario, all the people who work at large and small consulting firms, a huge segment of the middle/upper middle class population, this has the potential to put them out of work. These jobs also require years of university education and so contribute to that job sector, which is also not small.

You know what would be way better to eliminate instead? The new soil act changes that came into effect last year or two years ago, are killing us, adding significant cost and delay and bureaucracy to every single construction project, no matter the size. It is ridiculous, and very much should be the focus instead. It effects all construction, not just sites where there might be species at risk. Soil is a massive cost and a necessary part of every single construction project. There should be a total exemption for sites that are under a certain size, and sites that are to be developed towards housing (see the win-win for developers and other industries here?) currently there is not, it seems that a consultant still needs to be hired to "confirm", and testing still needs to be carried out. This regulation is total overkill, and this is what actually should be targeted, not something that has a huge job sector behind it and protects endangered species.

Please consider this.