I oppose the exemptions for…

I oppose the exemptions for the protection of Black Ash. The major remaining habitat for this endangered tree is north of the proposed area of protections. For effective protection of Black Ash as a species, this northern portion of the species' habitat must be included in the areas under protection.

Further, the conditions of protection (preserving only 30m limit around healthy trees) are far too limited to be effective. For survival of the species, their habitat must be protected in areas large enough to allow the trees to propagate. Wetlands where they exist must be protected whole, otherwise the wetland habitat will be degraded and the trees within it will be doomed. I recommend that habitat where the trees are found be protected with a 30 m buffer around the whole wetland, not just individual trees.

The ash borer is a major threat to these trees, but habitat loss from alteration of wetlands in the south is another major factor resulting in the extirpation of this tree. If the species is to survive as a whole, it will need large natural areas protected across it's entire range. However this goal is fully in line with the goal of protecting 30% of natural habitat by 2030 that Canada, including Ontario is committed to. The areas where Black Ash thrive are less amenable to farmland development or urban development and so this can be an indicator species for natural areas that could be protected not just for Black Ash but for ecosystem services to Ontarians.

I strongly urge the government to consider these points and increase protection for the Black Ash to an effective level across the province.