Re regulatory amendments…

Re regulatory amendments regarding habitat protections for Redside Dace (O. Reg. 832/21)

- this proposal is expected to greatly reduce the area of protected habitat within some watersheds and will thus have detrimental impacts to the recovery and protection of Redside Dace and should NOT be implemented
- the proposal will hasten the demise of Redside Dace, is contrary to the intent of the ESA and clearly done to the benefit of the development industry and not species protection and recovery
- habitat protections based on such short-term occupancy as 10 years shows a complete lack of precaution; in addition, the proposal dose not include any recommendations for a scientifically based long term monitoring plan to guide decision making.
- recovery habitat must not be reliant on connections to 'occupied habitat' when re-introductions of the species is currently being planned (as i read tonight in the Globe and Mail article of Feb 20th)
- the Province of Ontario needs to drop this ill conceived proposal and get serious about species protection and recovery for Redside Dace as one of Ontario's most significant stream fishes!
- development consistent with preserving biodiversity IS possible. Please put some effort into finding mechanisms to IMPROVE protection and recovery of species such as Redside Dace where development can be part of the solution (instead of the problem).