I strongly oppose the new…

I strongly oppose the new proposed legislation, which would effectively dismantle and destroy protections for endangered wildlife and their habitat in Ontario. As stated in the proposal, the purpose is to “…drive species protection and conservation while taking into account social and economic considerations…” , which is completely false since the current terms of the Endangered Species Act already does that. Ontario is home to many Species-at-Risk, and even with the current ESA we are seeing declines in these populations. Loosening restrictions and allowing more development in the province is only going to cause more habitat loss and further declines of our endangered wildlife. As an early-career wildlife biologist who has worked in this field for 7 years, I can confidently say that “… the government should <not> have discretion to remove protected species from the list”. This completely undermines the valuable work of wildlife biologists and scientists who guide science-based conservation efforts and decisions to protect the declining species of this province.

The “duplication” process that is mentioned throughout the proposal is not a barrier to development, but rather, a form of protection for endangered species in Ontario. The “duplication” of provincial and federal legislation exists because proposals to demolish sensitive and pristine habitat (for whatever purpose) should be examined by my multiple experts who have science-based knowledge and education on this matter. Stating the ESA rules are “too rigid” is completely wrong, and implies a distinct lack of education and compassion for endangered wildlife in Ontario.

This proposal has been strategically worded in a way to convince the general public that endangered species are standing in the way of economic growth for this province, which is completely incorrect. Bulldozing sensitive habitat that’s home to endangered species should not be considered a “complication”, it is our duty as stewards of the land to co-exist and preserve the remaining species we have on this planet. We are currently in the 6th mass extinction in earth’s history, which is primarily human-driven; the audacity to use our turmoil with the US as an excuse to completely gut an act that protects wildlife in Ontario is simply inexcusable and ridiculous. In fact, the current US administration is proposing a very similar cut to endangered species protections, which makes Ontario’s government seem just as environmentally incompetent as the US. We can do better as a province.

I urge the government to withdraw this proposed legislation and consult environmental experts, wildlife biologists, indigenous communities, and the general public regarding this matter. We have a moral and legal obligation to protect endangered species and our beautiful greenspaces in Ontario, not make it easier to demolish them.