Ontario’s Endangered Species Deserves Better!

A Submission To NAL from Ontario Nature

(A brief foreword from Niagara At Large – One would hope that the new Liberal premier, Kathleen Wynne, would care more about this than her predecessor Dalton McGuinty on this issue, so vital to Ontario’s ecological health. And where is the NDP and the Conservatives, who could collectively hold the minority Liberal government’s feet to the fire until it backed off further weakening this province’s legislation for protecting endangerered species. They seem to be almost nowhere, so far. Time for all good citizens to pay them a call.)

Ontario’s Spotted turtle is one of many species across the province that are at risk of disappearing if more isn’t done to protect them.

The Ministry of Natural Resources has put forward recommendations that would weaken protection for Ontario’s at-risk wildlife. Sweeping new exemptions to our Endangered Species Act (ESA) are on the table that would allow industry to dodge crucial protection measures.

With your support, Ontario Nature worked hard to make sure the Endangered Species Act was passed into law. However, because of budget cuts, the Ministry of Natural Resources has proposed that industrial activities be exempt from key parts of the Act.

Say no to further endangering already endangered species! Take action now!

Click here to send a letter to the Premier opposing these harmful changes now or to call a Cabinet Minister near you.

Please read the letter that Ontario Nature, and more than 50 other organizations, sent to Premier Kathleen Wynne asking that the Endangered Species Act be upheld. Or, read a letter from Ontario Nature’s Youth Council imploring the Premier to stand up for endangered species.

Click here to read Dr. Anne Bell’s op-ed in the Toronto Star.

To learn more about the government’s recommendations and their impact on species at risk, click here.

For a copy of Ontario Nature’s full submission on the proposed changes, please e-mail Dr. Anne Bell at anneb@ontarionature.org.

Background

Ontario is a vast province, nearly 900,000 square kilometres, which is bigger than France and Spain combined, and it is rich in biodiversity. But the province also contains more than 200 plant and animal species that are at-risk, meaning that these species are in danger of extinction or of disappearing from the province. This number is growing every year. In response, Ontario Nature is actively involved in research, public education and policy work on behalf of species at risk.

The Fowler’s Toad is another living being at risk of disappearing in Ontario due to the paving over of its natural habitat and other causes.

Ontario Nature is continually working on ways to provide the greatest protection possible for at-risk species. We have been working towards the conservation of these species:

• woodland caribou
• snapping turtle
• redside dace
• bobolink
• Butler’s gartersnake

Research

Ontario Nature collaborates with a variety of stakeholders on species at-risk research including government, farmers, naturalists and private landowners to encourage stewardship agreements under the Endangered Species Act. We produce publications that inform conservation strategies for endangered wildlife and habitats. As well, we continue to support citizen-science through our Reptile and Amphibian Atlas that will inform how best to safeguard sensitive habitat for these imperiled species.

Policy

For decades Ontario Nature has been at the forefront of efforts to protect species at risk through strong legislation, regulations and policy. The result is Ontario’s Endangered Species Act (ESA), a promising law that sets a new, high standard for species at risk legislation in Canada. Its strengths include the scientific listing of endangered species, mandatory habitat protection, mandatory recovery plans and funding for stewardship.

However, the real test of the legislation is in its implementation. We are working with the Province to make sure that the policies and regulations that support the ESA are carried out in a timely way and truly safeguard wildlife and the ecosystems that plants and animals depend on.

Public Education

Ontario Nature promotes public awareness of and engagement in the conservation of all wildlife, including species at risk. We make public presentations, hold workshops and produce outreach materials. Click here to read the June 2009 publication by Save our Species entitled: Ontario’s Endangered Species Act Report Card.

Through our Action Alerts, we notify our supporters of opportunities to participate in public consultations and to comment on draft policies. We also provide opportunities for volunteers to be involved in direct, hands-on citizen science initiatives through projects like the Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario and the newly launched Ontario Reptile and Amphibian Atlas project.

You can find more information about threatened and endangered species and Ontario’s Endangered Species Act on the Ministry of Natural Resources website.

Learn more about the work of the not-for-profit citizens organization Ontario Nature by visiting its website at http://www.ontarionature.org/ .

 (Niagara At Large invites you to join in the conversation by sharing your views on the content of this post below. For reasons of transparency and promoting civil dialogue, NAL only posts comments from individuals who share their first and last name with their views.)