Quote from
Steve on December 5, 2020, 12:48 pm
This proposal appears to be aimed specifically at retroactively forcing the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to issue a permit for the destruction of 50 per cent of the provincially significant Lower Duffins Creek coastal wetland complex against the Authority’s stated opposition. The MZO issued for this development is being challenged in court by Ecojustice on behalf of Ontario Nature and Environmental Defence.
“The provincial government is circumventing the planning process and shutting down public consultation and now they are ending the ability of any “nuisance” bodies like Conservation Authorities to apply laws that protect wetlands, floodplains and source water protection areas,” said Caroline Schultz of Ontario Nature.
Among their many benefits, wetlands act as water filtration systems, provide a buffer against flooding, offer stopover points for migratory birds, and provide year-round habitat for some of the province’s most critically endangered species. A 2009 study conducted for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry calculated the economic value of urban wetlands at $161,420 per hectare annually. As a result, wetlands designated as provincially significant are supposed to be covered by the highest levels of environmental protection.
“It means that
protection is no longer the rule and that wetlands are now vulnerable to political decisions,” says Anne Bell the Director of Conservation and Education for Ontario Nature. “Every wetland is important in its own way, and under policy they should not be touched.”
This proposal appears to be aimed specifically at retroactively forcing the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to issue a permit for the destruction of 50 per cent of the provincially significant Lower Duffins Creek coastal wetland complex against the Authority’s stated opposition. The MZO issued for this development is being challenged in court by Ecojustice on behalf of Ontario Nature and Environmental Defence.
“The provincial government is circumventing the planning process and shutting down public consultation and now they are ending the ability of any “nuisance” bodies like Conservation Authorities to apply laws that protect wetlands, floodplains and source water protection areas,” said Caroline Schultz of Ontario Nature.
Among their many benefits, wetlands act as water filtration systems, provide a buffer against flooding, offer stopover points for migratory birds, and provide year-round habitat for some of the province’s most critically endangered species. A 2009 study conducted for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry calculated the economic value of urban wetlands at $161,420 per hectare annually. As a result, wetlands designated as provincially significant are supposed to be covered by the highest levels of environmental protection.
“It means that
protection is no longer the rule and that wetlands are now vulnerable to political decisions,” says Anne Bell the Director of Conservation and Education for Ontario Nature. “Every wetland is important in its own way, and under policy they should not be touched.”
