While it is very important…

While it is very important to protect endangered species in Ontario and work to improve their conditions so they are no longer endangered, we must deal with reality. For many species, they are on the northern edge of their habitat range, and human development (clearing, farming, urban development, roads, etc.) have removed and fragmented a huge amount of habitat in southern Ontario. That is not going to change and forcing proponents (companies, individuals, provincial and municipal governments, etc.) to take expensive and time-consuming steps to protect isolated pieces of habitat or create new isolated pieces of habitat is just not effective or efficient and likely produces only marginal improvements for the species. We need to look at the whole picture - it's an ecosystem landscape that species live within and if we want to protect and improve species we need to identify and protect ecosystem landscapes. If the Ontario government is serious about it we need to look to expand protected natural areas - parks, nature reserves, conservation areas, private lands (tax breaks), land trusts, etc. in key areas and habitats so there is enough of a block of land or corridor to provide needed habitat and environment for species. Protecting trees for bat maternal roosting or installing bat boxes or special bark is not going to help endangered bats if white nose syndrome is the root cause of their decline because of conditions in overwintering mines or caves. We're throwing money and resources in the wrong direction - the root problem needs to be addressed. Similar approaches need to be taken for other species where the Ontario habitat and conditions is not the limiting factor - loosing bird and butterfly habitat in central and South America for overwinter cannot be offset only by trying to take steps in Ontario - we need to work within reality and focus on species and habitats we can actually make an impacts.