I am disappointed and very…

I am disappointed and very concerned that allowing for mining exploration trails is being proposed. These types of activities cause irreversible harm to habitat and though considered minor, they can still have negative effects on areas by disturbing sensitive flora and displacing local fauna. I am also concerned on changing the status of barn swallows; where are the studies and evidence that populations of this species are stable enough to change their status? Like many concerned citizens, I am alarmed that we are currently facing the warmest February on record and as our temperatures increase we will see changes to our environment that we cannot anticipate. Stronger legislation to protect biodiversity and endangered species is needed now more than ever.

The Ontario government established the Protected Areas Working Group in 2021 to “identify opportunities to protect and conserve more natural areas.” The group provided recommendations to the Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks in a 2021 report that was not made public until two years later through a Freedom of Information request by the Wilderness Committee in June 2023. The report states that the current overall amount of protected land in Ontario – including national and provincial parks, conservation reserves and lands held by private land trusts – amounts to less than 11 per cent, putting Ontario eighth among provinces and territories. Proposed changes to the ESA are the polar opposite of what this report is recommending. The Endangered Species Act should retain its policies to PROTECT species, and nothing less!