November 14, 2010…

November 14, 2010

Barton Feilders

Manager, Ministry of Natural Resources

Natural Heritage, Lands and Protected Spaces Branch

Parks and Protected Areas Policy Section

Dear Mr Feilders,

I am extremely disappointed to learn that the Ontario government has announced its intention to extend cottage leases inside ecologically sensitive Rondeau Provincial Park for an additional 21 years! (EBR No. 011-1300)

The current approved park management plan states that the cottage leases will be terminated in 2017. The extension of the cottage leases "one last time" in the late 1980s, until 2017 was a huge concession to cottagers at the time and strongly opposed by conservation organizations. Another such concession is unacceptable, especially given the provincial government’s commitments to protecting biodiversity, recovering endangered species and maintaining the ecological integrity of protected areas. It is even more unacceptable since of the 287 current leaseholds inside the park boundaries, over half have changed ownership since the final lease extension in 1986! All cottagers entered into their leases with the full knowledge that the leases would not be renewed after 2017.

This proposal, which would see leases remain in place until 2038, undermines the number one priority stated in the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, which is to maintain ecological integrity.

Ontario’s Biodiversity Strategy, introduced by the McGuinty government in 2005, indicates that parks and protected areas are one of the cornerstones for biodiversity conservation strategies. In southern Ontario, few opportunities exist for the expansion of protected areas. This means that protected areas are especially critical to the protection of wildlife. Rondeau is renowned for its biodiversity and is a refuge for dozens of species at risk that depend on the protection of the park's provincially and nationally significant habitats. To the extent possible, its unique features should be free of human structures and manicured landscaping and restored to a natural state where wild, native species thrive.

This latest proposal is extremely unfair to all forms of wildlife. The promise given in 1986 should not be broken now. I expect better from my government and request a thorough explanation!

[Original Comment ID: 128977]