I am deeply concerned about…

I am deeply concerned about and strongly object to the government's proposal to permanently exempt forest operations from protecting and aiding in the recovery of species at risk.

I ask that the plan to amend the CFSA, as proposed, be reconsidered. Specifically, I ask that this proposal be withdrawn immediately and that the government work instead to reconcile the protection and recovery of forest-dependent species at risk with the desire to harvest of timber on public lands. If the Harris government was able to work with diverse interests, surely this government should be able to do the same.

In addition, the government needs to help the public understand that the ESA and the CFSA are not duplicative - these are different legislative regimes with different purposes. The CFSA seeks only to minimize adverse effects while the ESA’s focus is to protect and recover species and their habitats.

The proposal would only minimize harm to those forest-dependent specifics that are at risk. This is in conflict with the government’s commitments to address biodiversity decline and take action on climate change. The proposal also fails to prevent continued decline of species at risk.

It seems that the MNRF is abandoning its efforts to ensure that the legislative mandates of both the CFSA and the ESA are met. I think this also puts at risk the province’s claims of sustainable forest management, internationally and in the marketplace.

Thank you for your consideration.