Speaking as a conservation…

Speaking as a conservation biologist, repealing the ESA and enacting the new Species Conservation Act will, without a doubt, result in species extinctions. The recent amendments to enable the Species Conservation Act, detailed in this proposal, include picking and choosing which species will be granted protection (rather than granting protection to every threatened species in the province, all of which are in need of robust conservation action). This new act has also redefined what "habitat" entails, defining habitat as an individual's dwelling area, disregarding the need to protect the habitat surrounding an individual's dwelling. It is equivalent to protecting a person's physical house, while demolishing the roads, the school, the grocery store, the neighbours, and so on, and still expecting that person to survive and thrive. Finally, the Species Conservation Act allows for certain project development without permits or restrictions, or Indigenous permission or consultation. The Species Conservation Act will result in extinctions of at-risk species that need our help now more than ever. The Species Conservation Act must be repealed and the ESA re-instated and improved for meaningful and impactful species and environmental protection. This new act jeopardizes the future of Ontario's rich biodiversity, along with the future of our children and further generations that rely on the ecosystem services provided by an intact environment.