Despite the enormous negative impact industrial logging has on the habitat of many of Ontario's species at risk, the logging sector has been repeatedly exempt from the Endangered Species Act's prohibitions against habitat destruction.
Since 2013, the provincial government extended the exemption each time it was set to expire, allowing commercial foresters to cut down, cut up and degrade forests crucial to the existence of imperilled species. And we know these species have continued to suffer, but the province doesn't care.
Shortly after slicing and dicing through the ESA last year, the Ford government proposed to make ...
Despite the enormous negative impact industrial logging has on the habitat of many of Ontario's species at risk, the logging sector has been repeatedly exempt from the Endangered Species Act's prohibitions against habitat destruction.
Since 2013, the provincial government extended the exemption each time it was set to expire, allowing commercial foresters to cut down, cut up and degrade forests crucial to the existence of imperilled species. And we know these species have continued to suffer, but the province doesn't care.
Shortly after slicing and dicing through the ESA last year, the Ford government proposed to make the logging industry's exemption permanent using a new loophole that would let forestry law override the more stringent ESA. That was set to happen this month, but COVID-19 has delayed a lot of decision-making in Ontario.
Let's say no to destructive and rampant forestry in sensitive species habitat. We can't let one more year of commercial logging, let alone decades, destroy what little intact habitat many species at risk have left.
Comments are due by June 18th. You can read the full proposal right here.
