The Federal government is gutting environmental programs through staffing cutbacks, regulation changes and changes in legislation, all in the name of reducing budgets.
Regulations covering environmental assessment (the Federal Environmental Assessment Act) have been significantly relaxed.
- One immediate impact: 1,000 projects under review in British Columbia were suddenly exempted from the EA.
Legislation such as the Navigable Waters Act ... essentially gone. Previously any navigable water way, streams, lakes, rivers etc, fell under the requirements of the Act. Now the list has been reduced to a small group of major rivers and lakes.
- Think about the trapper who may have used a canoe to navigate a portion of a stream as part of their trap line. When the forest company wanted to build a road they had to ensure that the trapper could continue to use the waterway ... not any more.
- Think about the tourism operator with a boat cache on a small lake that allowed access to adjacent lakes through a stream. If the forest company wanted to build a road across the stream the rights of the tourism operator had to be respected ... not any more.
Staff cutbacks have affected National Parks and staff associated with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
- Recently staff on the front lines of salmon management in British Columbia came under attack. Their numbers will be reduced which will impact fisheries management in what is one of Canada's primary fisheries.
The Fisheries Act has been changed so that non-commercial fish populations no longer receive the protection they did. The concept of the HADD that is commonly applied in forest management planning no longer applies to non-commercial fisheries. Impacts to fish breeding area, nurseries, feeding areas etc are no longer considered.
Locally, budget cutbacks are closing the Experimental Lakes Area near Kenora. The ELA is world renowned for research on fresh water ecosystems. Impacts of phosphate loading, mercury runoff, etc etc have been studied at the ELA and those findings have been used to protect freshwater around the world. The Federal government doesn't seem interested in anything to do with the environment where formerly Federal agencies led the way in ensuring protection.
Locally, budget cutbacks are closing the Experimental Lakes Area near Kenora. The ELA is world renowned for research on fresh water ecosystems. Impacts of phosphate loading, mercury runoff, etc etc have been studied at the ELA and those findings have been used to protect freshwater around the world. The Federal government doesn't seem interested in anything to do with the environment where formerly Federal agencies led the way in ensuring protection.
So, what, if anything does the government of Ontario intend to do to ensure that these vital protections remain in place?
- Will Ontario take over the ELA?
- Will Ontario pass it's own Navigable Waters legislation?
- Will Ontario ensure appropriate staffing to protect fish and wildlife in Ontario?
- Will Ontario beef up its own EA legislation to compensate for the moves buy the Federal government?
- Will Ontario take measures to ensure protection of all fish habitat?
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