Comment
The proposed changes to the OWES program could have serious detrimental effects to our most vulnerable wetlands.
The division of wetland complexes into individual sites for evaluation could very likely cause some existing Provincially Significant Wetlands to lose their designation, as well as prevent many new PSW designations from being assigned.
Downloading of responsibility for OWES from the provincial government to individual municipalities is short-sighted, as provincial ministry staff are best suited to make the kind of decisions necessary to protect our wetlands. Municipalities will be further handicapped by the proposed changes to Bill 23 that would prevent them from consulting with Conservation Authorities (possibly the best source of knowledge for individual watersheds).
And finally, no longer recognizing the presence of endangered and threatened species in the OWES process will unfairly skew the assessment process in the favour of developers, leaving vital wetlands (and the species that rely on them) vulnerable to development.
I personally believe this regulation change, as well as the proposed changes to Bill 23, are being forced through as quickly as possible to keep the public from becoming aware of their impacts and responding accordingly.
Supporting links
Submitted November 22, 2022 8:50 PM
Comment on
Proposed Updates to the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System
ERO number
019-6160
Comment ID
71556
Commenting on behalf of
Comment status