I am a biologist and I…

I am a biologist and I worked with the endangered Piping Plover for two years. I worked with the Plovers on beaches in this region and I see the substantial impacts these birds face on the shoreline. There isn't enough beach and sand for these birds to forage and lay their nest. The shoreline development and beach raking (removal of drift wood and cobble and vegetation that's important for piping plover nest success) has caused many issues for piping plovers. When there are too many humans and dogs on the shoreline these birds become really stressed with the lack of space and activity, and risk many piping plovers to abandon their nest, or their eggs become predated by dogs, coyotes or other large mammals.

Why should we care: when I worked with Piping Plovers in 2019, there were 8 breeding pairs in this province. Out of the entire province this is substantially low. Piping plovers have lived on these beaches before time immorial and it would not be fair to them to have significant habitat destruction to their shorelines. Development and destruction would also risk flooding for the newly developed houses and cottages on the shoreline. I grew up on a cottage 20 years ago and I remember the shoreline being incredibly expansive where at least 20 people could walk the shoreline together and hang out on the sand. But now there is only enough shorline for 1-2 human beings to walk which is not enough space for these beach nesting birds.

I am advocating for those who do not have a voice in this proposal. Piping plovers face this issue in the entire province where shoreline is increasingly shrinking due to development. I urge you to reconsider this proposal and think about the future population of these birds.