At what point is the line…

At what point is the line drawn that we need to protect the environment and especially species at risk. A challenge was addressed that on a case by case basis policy approach does not always have a positive outcome for the species at risk. Does this mean we are siding with economic development and destroying habitat? Why is this necessary? Economic development can occur in areas that are already developed, develop and build up instead of out. Be creative and develop buildings that help the environment not destroy critical habitat for endangered species.

In cases where species and habitat protections can contribute to high uncertainty and costly impacts to businesses and the public, this should not be an issue. We as humans need to understand what we have done to the environment and are the main cause of endangered species and should be held accountable for our actions just as we are held accountable for our actions when the issue pertains to human to human interactions. In order for our society to persist we need to have a balance between the society and norms we have developed for ourselves and preserving the environment. We only have one hospitable planet so why shouldn't we be made accountable and pay high costs to maintain species and habitat protection.

The discussion questions in area of focus 2
Longer timelines before a species gets listed should not be the direction the species at risk in Ontario list goes. That could further escalate the problem and the population could decline further. I suggest posting notices of when a species is being assessed to be put on these lists and update their status as frequently as possible (an ideal update would be daily). This way if you are investing time into knowing the species at risk in an area, you can have a general idea of what's coming down the pipeline.

Longer transition period may be a decent idea for automatic species and habitat protections but there should be no delay. There should already be a step by step process so lengthen the timeframe for business owners or the public so no one is left in the dark and everyone has the opportunity to understand what is to come. The longer transition would have to have strict deadlines and consequences for public and business who do not follow the transition for species and/or habitat protections.

I believe there should be multiple reviews from both the government and private companies that perform assessments regarding assessment and classification of a species by the Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario be improved as normal practice and update assessments as emerging science and conflicting information come out.