I am writing to express…

I am writing to express concern regarding the proposed transfer of Wasaga Beach in Ontario to the Town of Wasaga Beach. Wasaga Beach is the breeding home of an endangered species, the Piping Plover. Under the management and protection of Ontario Parks, Wasaga Beach has hosted 57 Piping Plover nests and successfully raised 87 Piping Plover fledglings over time. This is a significant accomplishment when considering that as of today, the entire population of Great Lakes Piping Plovers is only 88 pairs. Wasaga is of international renown as a breeding ground for the Piping Plovers and through them reflects positively on Ontario and Canada. It is critical for Wasaga Beach to remain available as habitat for nesting Piping Plovers.

Of note, the effort to remove the Piping Plover from their endangered status requires 150 breeding pairs and 50 nests outside of Michigan, USA. Maintaining the habitat at Wasaga Beach is critical to the recovery of the Piping Plover species.

The Piping Plovers habitat and nesting needs must be meaningfully integrated into the beach management plan at Wasaga Beach. Currently, the only condition proposed in the land transfer is that the beach remains public, which is not sufficient to ensure the safe and successful nesting of Piping Plovers. If the transfer goes ahead, we ask the Province to include conditions or commitments that help support Piping Plover conservation and habitat protection, on par with the protection levels currently offered by Ontario Parks.

The Ontario Government must ensure that Piping Plovers are conserved and protected by a science-based management plan and resources that:

- Reduces threats to Piping Plover and their habitat year-round by restricting mechanical raking so that the habitat is not destroyed, prohibiting dune alteration, and protecting nests with fenced buffer zones and natural predator mitigations.
- Commits funding to protect, conserve, and steward Piping Plovers, their nests, and their habitats.
- Engages experts like Birds Canada at development and implementation phases

Thank you.