As a resident of Ontario and…

As a resident of Ontario and a citizen of Canada, I strongly oppose 025-0380 as it is currently presented.

There are many organizations and private individuals that have already commented on the ways that the proposed changes weaken our environment, and by extension, our long-term economic well-being. I will not repeat these concerns here, although they are valid concerns that I share.

I would like to focus on the new proposed definition of "habitat" applied to plant species at risk - that being, the area of critical root mass around an individual of a given at-risk plant species.

I challenge the proponents of these changes to find a definition of "habitat" in the scientific literature that is so restricted in scope. I don't think they will find one. The area of critical root mass represents little more than the individual itself, and does not include the majority of what a plant needs in its surroundings in order to survive, even at the level of the individual.

If one were to bulldoze the forest outside of the critical root mass of a population of an endangered plant that requires forest cover for survival, those plants would die, as a direct result of those actions.

Calling the critical root mass of a plant "habitat", rather than simply an individual and a portion of its soil associations, is misleading, and not based on evidence. If the proponents of these changes want to continue to claim to support evidence-based decision-making, they must seriously reconsider this wording, along with many other parts of the proposed legislation.

Thank you for your time and consideration.