The proposed in-lieu payment…

The proposed in-lieu payment option has the potential to provide opportunities for universities, research organizations, and environmental companies to complete important SAR work in their area of expertise, as opposed to the current regulations, which leaves corporations responsible for remediation and offsetting activities. There should be rules on who is allowed to apply for access to the funding generated by in-lieu payments, and where/for which species it can be used. Removing the responsibility from corporations, and allowing it to be willingly taken on by third party groups can function as a tool to help ensure that the work is being undertaken by groups with the proper expertise to complete it. A monitoring requirement should be implemented, similar to the four year monitoring and reporting requirements for wetland remediation/replacement in Alberta (2015), making the organizations taking on this work accountable for satisfactory results. The implementation of in-lieu payments can also help to fund university/private research projects that find new or better ways to protect Ontario's species at risk, which is an important step to achieve the end goal of removing these species from the list. The proposed changes to Ontario's Endangered Species Act provide more flexibility to the proponents of projects in these areas, and provide a mechanism to ensure that remediation projects are undertaken by qualified candidates.