After reading the proposed…

After reading the proposed changes to the Ontario Endangered Species Act, I am very disappointed that so many protections are potentially being removed from the current act. There also seems to be many provisions being suggested that would allow developers to effectively build wherever they choose, regardless of the plants and animals on the land. This would be absolutely devastating to many populations (example, the casino in North Bay, being built on wetlands that house Blandings turtles, even though there are other viable location options). We are supposed to be stewards for the environment, preserving it for future generations. We should be protecting the habitat of at-risk and endangered species. Paying down the deficit should not come at the price of environmental destruction. Not everything can or should have a dollar value assigned to it; some things are priceless and cannot be replaced once they disappear. According to the Sierra Club of Canada (https://www.sierraclub.ca/national/es/endang.html), close to 80% of species at-risk in our country are in this position because of habitat loss and fragmentation - the very things that will be supported should the amendments to the Act be made. Anything we can do to slow this rate, and prevent the decline, we should.

Thank you.