PLEASE REMOVE THE ENTIRETY…

PLEASE REMOVE THE ENTIRETY OF SCHEDULE 5 FROM BILL 108, BECAUSE:

- The changes would remove essential legal protections for species at risk and for the habitats that sustain them.

-The proposed changes would lead to delays in protecting species at risk – delays of up to three years for newly listed species – at the discretion of the Minister.

- The proposed changes would also weaken Ontario’s science-based approach to listing which species receive protection.

- The proposal weakens virtually all aspects of Ontario’s Endangered Species Act and could put development and industrial interests ahead of species at risk.

- Schedule 5´s changes are inconsistent with the purpose of the Act, which is to protect and recover species at risk in Ontario.