Protecting Ontario…

Protecting Ontario ecosystems, including those of birds, is vital. The existing habitat definition and protections of the Endangered Species Act should be retained. They provide a clear approach to conserving Ontario’s most at-risk birds, and any issues of delays or lack of clarity can be dealt with through improvements in process.
At a bare minimum, legal protection for threatened and endangered birds should continue to exist for habitat on provincial crown land, just as the federal Species at Risk Act habitat protections apply to federal crown land.
Incentives for habitat protection on private land must include funding for conservation easements and purchase of land by land trusts, and the annual budget of the new Species Conservation Program should be sufficient to make this meaningful.
Ontario’s threatened and endangered birds need plans for their survival and recovery. The proposed changes eliminate the requirement to develop recovery plans and propose no meaningful alternative. Without recovery plans, the new Species Conservation Program will not be able to set priorities, and businesses and the public will not have guidance on the most important places to protect and actions to take.
Indigenous leadership, voices, knowledge, and ongoing work on the land are critical for wild birds to thrive in sustainable ecosystems. The proposed legislation must respect Indigenous rights and the duty to consult.