I am writing to express my…

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the Ontario government's proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act. These amendments pose a serious threat to biodiversity and environmental stewardship in our province. Here are my key concerns:

Government Discretion Over Species Listings: Allowing the government unilateral power to add or remove species from the protection list opens the door to politically motivated decisions rather than science-based conservation. Species assessments must remain in the hands of independent, evidence-based bodies to ensure integrity and credibility.

Narrowing the Definition of Habitat: By reducing the scope of what constitutes habitat for at-risk species, the changes would severely limit the ability to protect the ecosystems these species rely on. This is particularly troubling as habitat loss is one of the leading causes of species decline.

Online Registration Instead of Permit Applications: Removing the requirement for permits and replacing it with a simple online registration system eliminates meaningful oversight. This fast-tracks development at the expense of environmental responsibility and undermines decades of work in species protection.

Removing ‘Harass’ From Legal Protections: Eliminating protections against harassment of species weakens enforcement and puts wildlife at greater risk. Harassment, while sometimes subtle, can have devastating effects on breeding, feeding, and survival of vulnerable species.

Abolishing Recovery Plans: Discontinuing the obligation to create and implement recovery plans for threatened and endangered species is a blatant abandonment of the government’s duty to protect biodiversity. Without recovery strategies, how can we ensure that species at risk will ever recover?

Disbanding the Species at Risk Program Advisory Committee: Removing this independent advisory body reduces transparency and accountability. Expert advice should not be optional—it should be a requirement when making decisions that impact the future of Ontario’s wildlife.

Collectively, these proposed changes represent a rollback of essential environmental protections and could lead to irreversible ecological damage. I urge the government to reconsider these amendments and instead strengthen our commitment to science-based conservation and the protection of Ontario’s rich biodiversity for future generations.