Endangered species left unprotected

Editor:

I’ve been privileged to live in the Clearview area since 2011, and even more privileged to explore the beautiful natural landscapes that Clearview has to offer.

Through my exploration, I’ve learned that Clearview and the surrounding area is home to an incredible number of endangered plants and animals; the piping plover at Wasaga Beach, butternut trees and American hart’s tongue fern on the escarpment, lake sturgeon in the bay and map turtles in our rivers, just to name a few.

When I learned that the Ford government quietly replaced Ontario’s Endangered Species Act with the less strict Species Conservation Act in late March, I became extremely concerned about the future of our endangered species, not just in Clearview but the whole province.

I don’t believe that the new Species Conservation Act, which prioritizes faster development approval and greater government discretion, will provide sufficient protections for the endangered plants and animals that call Ontario home. In summary, the new Act reduced the list of provincially protected species from 277 to 168 (many of which are found locally), it allows the government to bypass the previously established Committee on the Status of Species at Risk in Ontario (COSSARO) independent board of experts, and significantly speeds up the permitting process for projects that are likely to harm, kill, or destroy habitat that is critical to endangered species.

I want to make it clear that I am not against progress. I am 25 years old and struggling to find affordable housing in the area, so I fully understand the need for new housing developments and support the move for affordable housing. However, housing cannot be built at the expense of our most vulnerable wildlife. I don’t want to live in a province without our endangered species.

Hannah Stockford,

Stayner.