Piping Plovers are facing a…

Piping Plovers are facing a big challenge right now at Wasaga Beach in Ontario. The Provincial Government is planning to transfer portions of the Provincial Park to the Town of Wasaga Beach. This poses a significant risk to these endangered birds, of which there were only 14 individuals in Ontario this season. Currently, plover habitat at Wasaga is protected by the Provincial Parks and Conservation Reserves Act, 2006. There are no other federal or provincial protections on the habitat in this area, so if the land transfer goes through then there will be no habitat protections at all. Ontario Parks staff at Wasaga have been successfully managing the habitat and actively participating in the Ontario Piping Plover Conservation Program for 18 years, so their expertise, time, and resources will also be removed with this land transfer.

The land that will be transferred at Wasaga Beach is the most productive and important Piping Plover habitat in the province, having added half of the province’s fledglings and hosting 57 nests since the birds returned to Ontario in 2007 after a 30-year extirpation.

While the Province is still accepting comments to this proposal, we are preparing for the land transfer to go through.

If that happens, we are calling on the Government of Ontario to include specific conditions or commitments to protect Piping Plovers and their habitats – primarily through the development, implementation, and resourcing of a science-based Beach Management Plan that prioritizes plover conservation. We are also aiming to establish a strong relationship with the Town so that they are willing to work with us to protect Piping Plovers. We have been sharing the risks and trying to encourage our supporters to speak up for the plovers. This is a very fine balance.