March 15, 2019
Smart Prosperity Institute welcomes the opportunity to provide comments to the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks on the Discussion Paper for the 10th Year Review of Ontario's Endangered Species Act (ESA).
While the Ontario government can significantly improve how it implements endangered species conservation in the province, the Ontario Endangered Species Act already contains the tools needed to stabilize and recover Ontario’s endangered species – and so amendments to the legislation are not necessary at this time. Our submission instead focuses on how to use the existing legislation and associated policy instruments to more effectively and efficiently protect endangered species in Ontario, with an emphasis on:
- Promoting stewardship on private lands.
- Making better use of landscape (multispecies/ecosystem-based) management approaches, where appropriate.
- In cases where regulatory exemptions for industry are being considered, providing transparent and publicly accessible analysis of the harms to endangered species – and the relevant economic costs and benefits – that would likely accrue through these exemptions.
Given that Ontario has a disproportionate responsibility for conserving and recovering species at risk in Canada, because many species at risk are concentrated in the province, improving implementation of the Ontario Endangered Species Act is essential.
Read Smart Prosperity Institute’s Submission to the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks on the 10th Year Review of Ontario's Endangered Species Act.
