Please withdraw the proposed…

Please withdraw the proposed repeal of the Endangered Species Act. It appears to be an intentional attack against environmental legislation with many concerning proposals. While there is merit in providing enabling conditions for critical mining in Ontario's north and fighting U.S. tariffs, repealing the Endangered Species Act is not a responsible way of doing it. The proposal disrespects the interests of publics like environmentalists, ecologists, First Nations, scientists and individuals who like animals and Ontario’s natural spaces.

The proposals to eliminate advisory committee oversight functions erodes public trust in Ontario’s provincial democracy. There is no justification provided for removing an advisory committee's role, e.g. the Species at Risk Program Advisory Committee. Eliminating oversight is concerning at a time when climate change is threatening a myriad of species. Why is the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO), another independent group, being stripped away? Enabling the government to intervene in the future for what species can be protected politicizes the process, which risks further underscoring a loss of trust in government. Keeping these advisory committees in place would save the government the trouble of politicizing which species are considered at risk.

I would avoid redefining protections. Do not remove "harass" and do not change the definition of “habitat” because you are missing taking a landscape approach, which is regarded as best practice in conservation. Organizations based in Ontario like the Ecological Design Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University and Carolinian Canada Coalition, a respected southwestern Ontario NGO, are taking such approaches and it is being internationally recognized. Taking a landscape approach that emphasizes connectivity is a better approach to take than limiting definition of what a habitat entails to an immediate area around a den or a plant, which is proposed in this legislation. In the long-term, taking such an approach even entails risks for tourism dollars in local economies.

It is also disappointing that the Species at Risk Conservation Fund is going to be wound down when international best practice is to have a blended finance approach for conservation. That means that having state funding crowds in capital from the private sector to enable projects that protect wildlife. Thus, I am perplexed at why the government of Ontario is proposing to remove a fund whose use has never been more relevant. Having companies pay into a fund of this type is a worthwhile remedial effort to pursue for the environmental impacts that extractive industries inherently cause.

The proposed repeal of the Endangered Species Act is misguided. It is a questionable proposal at a time when other measures can be acted on to shape Ontario’s economy for the long-term in the face of U.S. tariffs and the threats of future ones. Please withdraw this bill and direct public resources away from watering down environmental protections.