As a master's student…

As a master's student researching endangered species, I am deeply concerned by the proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act, 2007 and its subsequent replacement the Species Conservation Act, 2025. My primary concern is the far narrower definition of habitat in the new act. The new definition of habitat for animals only includes a dwelling (such as a nest or den) and the area immediately around the dwelling but does not take into consideration the entirety of an animals habitat requirements. For example the Blanding's turtle which is classified as threatened under current legislation, often have home ranges of up to 40 hectares. Under new legislation the only habitat to be protected would be the ponds where the turtles breed which is insufficient for the species to survive.

One justification given for the new legislation is the fact that the current legislation has significant overlap with the federal Species at Risk Act (S.C. 2002, c.29) (SARA). While this may be the case, SARA only applies to federal lands unless the Minister of the Environment makes a recommendation to that provincial protection are insufficient. Therefore, removing equivalent provincial legislation may cause conflict between the provincial and federal governments if the Minister feels that Ontario's protections are inadequate. Such conflicts could slow down projects and defeat the purpose of the new legislation.