Species at risk in Ontario…

Species at risk in Ontario have been neglected by the provincial government for more than a decade and NOW the government is proposing to deal a crushing blow: a permanent exemption for forest operations from protecting and recovering species at risk.

Quietly introduced on the Friday before Christmas, the proposal will roll back the clock to 1994 when mitigating harm was the standard for the forest industry when it came to vulnerable critters.

Wildlife like boreal caribou, Blanding’s turtle and common nighthawk have never been protected to ensure their recovery under the Endangered Species Act and if the government has their way, they never will.

That this is happening in an extinction crisis and climate emergency is shocking and irresponsible. It will also harm the reputation of Ontario’s wood and paper products internationally and in the marketplace.

This proposal must be stopped until Ontario figures out how to meet the dual needs of protecting and recovering species at risk and sustainably managing forest operations.