Tag Archives: advocate for nature
Environmental Registry of Ontario I have found that walking among trees, enjoying birds, and breathing in the lovely forest smell is a sanity saver during this pandemic. We are seeing increasing evidence that a healthy and intact ecosystem not only helps us feel better now but could reduce the likelihood of another pandemic. As developers are not taking time off from pushing their agenda to build in what are now forests, meadows and wetlands, the work to preserve nature is more vital than ever. Ensuring that natural areas continue to exist as habitat for the wildlife that we love will take all of us. We have the right and obligation to stand up for the environment and to be heard. An easy and effective way to let the Ontario government know your views on environmental and development proposals is to set up an account at the Environmental Registry of Ontario. https://ero.ontario.ca/page/welcome. On the home page you can register for an account that will allow you to see proposals, deadlines, contact information for a person working on the file, and a place to submit your comments. As long as you haven’t included identifying information your comments will be published online, read and considered. With an account, your comments will be archived for you, you can see updates, and you can choose key-words if you would like notices. Although many files are long and complicated, googling proposals will bring up articles that show the gist of them. You don’t need to be well-versed in environment bureaucratic-speak and you don’t need to write a brief. A few sentences saying what you think of the proposal and what you would like the government to do can be very effective. You may also wish to email a copy of your comments to your MPP. One proposal you might wish to respond to is 019-1680, Proposed Amendment 1 to “ A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe”. This revision to the growth plan asks for comments about allowing quarries and gravel pits in the habitats of species at risk and making it even easier for developers to destroy more wetlands and forests in order to build more roads and subdivisions. Now, how long did it take you to decide how you feel about these proposals? How long did it take you to decide whether the government is on the right track with these plans? Exactly! Joyce Sankey