Ontario's Endangered Species Act is outdated and is not doing the job of protecting Ontario's many endangered species. Scientists have identified 190 endangered species in Ontario. Only 43 of the 190 species are protected by Ontario's Endangered Species Act. The greatest cause of species loss is loss of the habitat they need to survive: habitat that is gobbled up by highways, new suburbs, hydro impoundments, logging, mining, and other activities. Ontario's Endangered Species Act does not protect the habitat of endangered species.
Dear Premier McGuinty:
Re: Save Ontario's Species: Update the Endangered Species Act
Ontario's Endangered Species Act is outdated and is not doing the job of protecting Ontario's many endangered species. Scientists have identified 190 endangered species in Ontario. Only 43 of the 190 species are protected by Ontario's Endangered Species Act. The greatest cause of species loss is loss of the habitat they need to survive: habitat that is gobbled up by highways, new suburbs, hydro impoundments, logging, mining, and other activities. Ontario's Endangered Species Act does not protect the habitat of endangered species.
The Ontario government has made many commitments to improve the Endangered Species Act. You personally made promises to update and strengthen Ontario's Endangered Species Act in the lead up to the 2003 election. In addition, Ontario is obligated, as a signatory to the National Accord for Species At Risk and under the federal Species at Risk Act, to ensure its laws adequately protect endangered species and their habitats.
Because of unique southern Ontario habitats and our large population, Ontario is the jurisdiction with the proportion of endangered species in the country. Ontario's inadequate protection for endangered species is causing them to go even further into decline. We cannot wait while further species disappear from Ontario. The Ontario government needs to act now to introduce improvements to the Endangered Species Act.
cc: Honourable David Ramsay, Minister of Natural Resources
Fax: 416-314-2216, Email: minister@mnr.gov.on.ca
Ontario Nature
Fax: 416-444-9866, Email: info@ontarionature.org
