I am commenting to strongly…

I am commenting to strongly condemn this proposal, as someone who cares about the well-being of the natural environment. Species conservation depends on much more than solely the preservation of their home habitat or nesting location; broader protections are vital, and this proposal would remove the requirements that currently help preserve ontario's many at-risk species.

As well, the note that "The government would also have discretion to remove protected species from the list" is straight-up ridiculous. The whole point of an organisation like COSSARO identifying species that need protecting is that we need independent, science-based criteria for making these decisions! If the government can remove species at its own discretion, that completely erases the meaning of such a list. It will become based on the government's personal political interests, rather than based on what's actually best for the environment.

And what's best for the environment IS what's best for all humanity as a whole. We all benefit from having a thriving natural ecosystem, because we are a part of it. We can't pretend that short-term economic gain will be worth it in the end, when everything is interconnected. Our food systems are part of the natural world. Our leisure time is often in the natural world. People are happier and healthier when we can spend time in thriving, diverse natural areas. If we destroy these resources now, we can't just buy them back later. They will be gone for good.

I am most familiar with the data when it comes to bird conservation, and many species of birds in ontario, across many types of ecosystem, are experiencing alarming decreases in populations and have been for a long time. We cannot afford to let slide what little protection we're able to currently offer. If we loosen any of the protections of the ESA, those population declines will only get steeper. We should be strengthening protections, not cutting them!