Public Input Coordinator –…

Public Input Coordinator – Species at Risk Protection
Species at Risk Branch
40 St Clair Ave West
Toronto, ON
M4V 1M2 May 17th, 2025

Re: 025-0380: Proposed interim changes to the Endangered Species Act, 2007 and a proposal for the Species Conservation Act, 2025.

The North Pigeon Lake Association (NPLA) represents shoreline residents in the Municipality of Trent Lakes and the City of Kawartha Lakes. NPLA supports actions that preserve and promote the welfare of the shoreline and the waters of north Pigeon Lake, its catchment area, and more broadly across Ontario. We also promote good government, including sound environmental stewardship.

Thank-you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act, 2007.

We are opposed to the proposed weakening of Species at Risk Protection which would significantly deminish Ontario’s capacity to safeguard species that are endangered, threatened or of special concern.

Specifically, we are concerned about:

• Changing the purpose of the ESA to require that “sustainable economic growth” be factored into decisions related to the safeguarding of endangered species.
• Narrowing the definition of an endangered species’ “habitat,” to dwellings and immediate surroundings, excluding areas critical to full life cycle needs. This is ecologically unsound and antithetical to species protection.
• Empower cabinet to ignore – without criteria – science-based proposals to list a species at risk under the Act. Non-listed species will receive no protection under the Act.
• Abolish obligations for the government to create recovery strategies and report on species recovery efforts. With no plans for recovery, and no reporting, species will continue to decline.

At a time when species at risk face increased pressures, these proposals weaken, rather than strengthen, protections and therefore potential recovery.

We urge the Government of Ontario to withdraw Bill 5 in its entirety. Ontario’s economy and environment are not mutually exclusive.

Yours,

NPLA Board of Directors