Hello, I’m really excited to…

Hello, I’m really excited to hear that the provincial government is considering expanding the parks and conservation reserves system. I live in the Orillia area and am really excited to see that Bass Lake PP, Awenda PP, and Severn River CR are being considered for expansion. This region is facing a tremendous amount of development pressure and it’s vital that we protect remaining natural areas. The Bass Lake PP expansion in particular presents a great opportunity to protect irreplaceable wetlands near a rapidly expanding city. If anything, I’d like to see a greater expansion of the Severn River CR; much of the north shore of the Gibson River before it enters Gibson Lake is crown land, as well as the south shore of Lone Lake. While the Severn River CR protects a good portion of the Gibson River watershed and Lone Lake shoreline, more of it needs to be protected as it is one of the largest remaining undeveloped roadless areas left in the district municipality of Muskoka. I have also noted the proposed expansion of several parks along the Niagara escarpment and am eager to see these become reality. The Niagara Escarpment faces significant development pressure as it is in the most populous part of the country and needs greater protection. I do not agree that hunting should be permitted in the listed additions, parks exist to protect natural areas and hunting is not compatible with that purpose. I believe hunting should only be allowed if certain fauna, such as deer, are overgrazing and threatening rare and sensitive flora, and exist in an area without natural predators, such as southern Ontario. Thank you for considering my comments.