The new language used for…

The new language used for the proposed special economic zones criteria has a disproportionate reliance on the “opinion of the Minister” to make key determinations and fundamentally undermines the purpose of developing criteria.The environment minister must be of the opinion that the project will benefit communities in Ontario, but wildlife communities are not specifically taken into consideration, even if they are at risk. Species at risk must be determined by an independent scientific body.
Ecologically, habitat cannot be defined as immediate dwellings, but must include areas needed to live such as for foraging, hunting and mating. The elimination of recovery strategies makes it nearly impossible to effectively recover at-risk species.
The commitment to obtain free, prior and informed consent for project approvals and initiation must be integrated into law and policies that pertain to species recovery.