Proposed amendments to the…

Proposed amendments to the ESA are all about weakening the requirements and protections that are currently in place. Again, Ford shows his disdain for any "environmental regulation" that may be seen as an impediment to his developer and business cronies. The proposed amendments I find most troubling are as follows:
1. using "Ministerial Discretion" to decide whether a species or its habitat should be protected allowing political motivations to override scientific-based evidence
2. creating a review process with the aim to question science-based listing decisions for species-at-risk making it more difficult for addition of species (that deservedly need protection) under the ESA
3. simplifying permitting requirements and exemptions for industry to undertake "harmful"activities
4. creating a "conservation fund" that an industrial proponent must pay into as compensation for their harmful activities. This does nothing to protect the species that this proponent's activity will negatively impact.

Wildlife is disappearing at an astonishing rate in Ontario due to habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. This declining trend is exacerbated by climate change. Current laws protecting wildlife and their habitat must be strengthened, not weakened!