Joint Letter About Proposed Ontario Offsetting Policy ERO 019-6161
We, the 56 undersigned organizations, are deeply concerned about the proposed development of a natural heritage offsetting policy in the context of current major legislative and policy changes that are eroding environmental protections across the province (e.g. , changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, the Planning Act, and the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System, removal of lands from the Greenbelt). Although the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) is proposing a net-gain approach, decades of evidence suggest that even no net loss is rarely achieved through offsetting. We urge extreme caution should MNRF choose to proceed, and request that you strike an expert panel to advise on policy options and carry out full Indigenous and public consultation on the draft policy if and when it is developed.
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WCS Canada Comments on Dawson Region Recommended Plan
Our overall assessment is that the Recommended Plan for the Dawson Region is a much stronger plan then the Draft Plan in terms of its support for conservation values and for the protection of water, wildlife and land. There have been several changes that warrant support, including legally designating all Special Management Areas (SMAs) for protection; recognizing the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP); recognizing the importance of climate change in the region; nominating Wetlands of Special Importance for protection, and; removing the different threshold levels in the Fortymile caribou corridor based on elevation. These changes are definitely a step in the right direction, but based on our expertise, we still assess that several parts of the planning region and associated issues remain
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concerning and leave too much of a questionable future. In particular, there are three modifications that we recommend the parties to consider. . .
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WCS Canada Comments on Proposed Updates to the Ontario Wetland Evaluation System (ERO No. 019-6160)
The proposed changes to the OWES are highly unlikely to meet the stated purpose by Ontario of increasing housing in Ontario. According to the ERO posting, “streamlining” the wetland evaluation process is necessary to support the construction of 1.5 million new housing units. However, a shortage of land isn’t the cause of the housing shortage in Ontario1.
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WCS Canada Comments - Recommendations to Yukon Government for a New Public Lands Act to Replace and Modernize Existing Legislation - 30 May 2022
WCS Canada's recommendations to the Yukon Government for a New Public Lands Act to replace and modernize the existing legislation.
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Joint Comment - Proposed Amendment to the Greenbelt expansion ERO #019-4485 - 22 April 2022
Sixty-two organizations signed a letter to the Honorable Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to convey disappointment over the narrow scope of the proposed expansion to the Greenbelt in Ontario. The letter recommends a new, expanded approach to urban river valleys (URVs), the inclusion of the Paris Galt Moraine, cancellation of Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass, and includes a list of places that should be added to the Greenbelt expansion.
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